The Guardians - Season 2 - A New Dawn
by Yoshumari Korisuno
Summary: The power of The Guardians has grown quite a bit since they had first come to Ossyria. But as they near the peak of thier power, decsisions become harder, lives are put on the line and some times lost. Trust is tested, all with the Black Mage standing poised, ready to attack. Will they succeed in bringing this dark tyrant down? Or will Ossyria and everything they love, be lost?
1. Prologue

The Guardians: A New Dawn

With caution she managed to guide the submarine down into the depths of Aquarion where fearful creatures lurked: sharks cruised by and the mysterious Bone Fish, aquatic cousins of the Skelegon, would sometimes bump into the sides of the hull making it squeal as their bones drug across the metal. Pressing a few buttons on a screen, she brought the sub down to rest on the ocean floor next to a wall of glowing and glittering magic. At the air lock, she punched in a code as a tube of sorts extended from the side of the sub and through that magic allowing her to walk into the cave. The dark cloak that she wore covered her face in a deep shadow so that her face remained hidden, but the sleeves were just short enough to reveal her soft, slender hands.

"Carta? Are you here?" she asked, taking a few steps into the cave, listening as water dripped from the roof onto the rocks for any sign of the woman she called for.

"Yes, I am here." Came the sumptuous reply. Cautiously she stepped through the darkness until she came to a place where the cave opened up revealing a pot a blue-grey potion spilling over the sides and dripping down into the green fire that burned below. The woman smiled, remembering something from long ago when she suddenly jumped as a plume of violet smoke swirled from the floor in front of her and then slowly died away, revealing a tall, opulent woman. Her soft, long violet hair tickled the ground, covering one of her dark eyes and softly cascaded down her back, gracing her ashen skin held in place by the large black shell atop her head. Her tight skirt was slung dangerously low around her hips, reaching to the floor with slits running up either side, allowing the entirety of her toned legs to show with each captivating step that she took. The final touch was the smoke settling around her chest and then dying away with a revealing half bodice caressing her moderate busom.

"Ah, so you've come to visit at last. What is it that you seek?" Carta asked in an unsettlingly enticing tone as she walked towards the woman, setting her black finger tipped hand on her shoulder, walking past her and then behind her.

"Have you come to ascertain what will happen to your Love?" Carta inquired, placing her other hand on the woman's shoulder and leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Or have you come to see what it is that will happen to you?" Carta once again asked, standing to her full height, nearly foot taller than the woman, putting her attractive hands atop her hips.

"Don't mock me Carta, I haven't the time, nor does it seem that you do if you are using your mana doll." The woman snapped, seeming agitated or desperate. Carta luxuriously walked from behind her and dipped her finger into the pot, licking the potion off her finger and smiling, her black lips spreading to reveal her white teeth within.

"Then do us both a favor and stop wasting time." Carta smiled. The woman sighed and held out her hand with the ingredients that Carta would need.

"Ah, I see. So what is it that you want to know?" Carta asked as she dropped each of the herbs into a smaller pot of salt water she had next to the pot of potion.

"I want to know if you feel or see what will become of Ossyria." Carta dropped her head to the side, her eyes almost laughing as her hair drapped over her shoulder.

"Now now, you and Rhinne were the ones that taught me the future is only a i_possible/i_ future, you should know that." She said with an almost condescending tone. With a final flick of her wrist, she dropped the last of the herbs in and began watching the water swirl. Purposefully she stirred the pot and then watched as images passed before her, the woman waiting in anticipation.

"Tell me, have the people accepted what happened?" carta asked as she continued to stir, waiting more so for the images in the pot to stabilize.

"There are no longer any people left from that time. I would have come to you sooner and told you, but circumstances prevented me from doing so." The woman replied, stepping closer to the light from the green flames under cauldron to get a better view of what was to come.

"I see. Well, the waters tell of two possibilities, neither of which has a very joyous air about them." The woman lowered her head slightly before motioning with her hand to continue.

"The first is that The Guardians will fail, all six of them having their lives ended just as they are going to deliver the final blow…" Carta was suddenly flung back from something hitting her in the head, casting her into the wall before dropping to the ground.

"Carta!" the woman cried and was about to come to her aid when Carta held up her hand.

"I'm alright. Whatever was going to happen, I couldn't see beyond the final blow." Carta stood once again and peered into the pot, as a tear fell down her soft and alluring cheek.

"The second is that the Guardians will succeed, but many lives will be lost in the battle and the happiness that it would have brought will be tainted by their tears staining the ground for all time." The woman nodded and turned away, seeming saddened by the news as she left.

"Icedancer! Will I ever see you again?" Carta asked, almost seeming desperate, walking after the woman and holding her hand out. The woman stopped and turned her head over her shoulder as a strand of golden hair fell from under the hood into the dull light of the fire.

"I don't know, but I doubt it. Thank you as always Windharp, my sister."


	2. Chapter 1: Tainted Herbs

**Alright! It's finally here; The next part of The Guardians Saga, as well as the First chapter to Season 2. Leave a comment/review or two and lemme know how you like the whole thing so far!**

Chapter 1: Tainted Herbs

Quietly The Mage walked through the halls of the main castle, stopping for a brief moment from time to time so as he could see the faces of his students that had been recruited, gaining more of a following with each passing day. Dragon melted into existence from the shadows and fell in step on the left of The Mage while Eleanor appeared on his right and fell in step as well and gave her report.

"The chief memory knight reports that there has been no unusual activity within Edelstein. The Wyverns report that Dragonoir hasn't been seen or heard from since his defeat when Evan was saving Mir, and our contingency plan is progressing smoothly." The Mage nodded silently as the three of them walked to the dungeon. Empty cells housed long dead soldiers or unbending disciples, their skeletons being the only thing that remained after rotting away due to the thick miasma that hung in the air that could kill if one was exposed to it for too long. Coming to one of the cells, The Mage looked inside, narrowing his eyes as he looked at a man with charcoal colored sitting with legs crossed and hands folded with his thumb tips touching.

"When one is forcefully brought, it is hardly a summons. You have no honor, Black Mage." The man said, keeping his eyes closed while he meditated, mostly to not let the slight fear that he felt be seen. The Mage's eyes disappeared as he shut them and breathed a long and self-restraining breath, whispers weaving their presence into the air. Kendrew unfolded his legs, shifting to his knees while keeping his hands folded.

"If I knew that why I was brought here, then there would be no reason in my being brought here would there?" The Man replied, still keeping his eyes shut for his own purposes.

"It has come to our attention that you have made a home for yourself within the gardens of the Herb Town." The man tilted his head up as if to meet the gaze of Eleanor, casually panning his eyes to The Mage and nodded.

"I have: what is it that you have in mind?" The Mage opened the door and silently walked in, holding out a small vial with an invisible substance within it.

"What am I to do with this?" Kendrew asked, taking the vial and looking over the liquid within, almost feeling thousands of tiny presences from within it. Whispers surrounded him as The Mage held out his hand, bringing up an image of the herbs and tonics stored throughout Herb Town. Kendrew smirked as he tucked the small vial in his sleeve and reached for his hat, when The Mage's whispers filled his ears once more.

"Defeat the Guardians? Why would I want to do that?" he asked until The Mage produced the Black Wings badge, adorned with a tiny gold insignia that identified him as one of the elite within The Mage's inner circle. Kendrew smirked to the side as he slowly opened his eyes and reached for his bamboo sword as well as the invisibility scroll.

"And if I fail in defeating them?" The Mage stopped, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look back at him from over his shoulder making the air become cold and stale. Kendrew nodded his understanding, waiting until The Mage was out of the dungeon before he made his way out and on to his mission.

* * *

"Careful Helen, remember what happened the last time." Jack mumbled.

"It is no use; I must take it out." Helen panted, brushing the hair out of her face made damp from her sweating forehead.

"We're almost done, just keep going."

"Jack, this is the hardest one yet! I have to take it out!" Helen hissed back.

"No! Leave it in, your almost there."

"I've made up my mind; it is coming out!" Helen closed her eyes and reached out her hand, grabbing the small reactor and pulling it from the circuit board, listening as another 'Beyond The Sky' cannon shut down.

"Hey guys! What's up!" Called Antonia, making Helen jump and accidently touch the contacts of the reactor to the circuits, fusing it and making the machine spin up and out of control.

"ANTONIA! What did I say about sneaking up on us like that?!" Jack hollered.

"Sorry! I thought you guys were done." Jack shook his head and pulled Helen to her feet, running as fast as they could away from the machine until a plume of blue fire erupted into the sky, spreading a thick cloud of smoke in the air. Jack coughed hard, pulling his face out of the dirt and shaking his head to get the pebbles out of his hair.

"Next time, wait until you see us away from one of these things." Jack said in between heaves. Olsen and Auzzy suddenly appeared, running to them after they had dispatched another of the cannons.

"You guys alright?" Auzzy asked, holding out his hands to Helen and Antonia to pull them to their feet.

"We are alright Auzzy. Just a bit shaken is all." Helen coughed as she stood, picking up her Kage staff and brushing off her new clothes, The Onyx Fury: a black dress, fitted very close to her upper body with what appeared to be a crest of maple leaves embroidered on the front and flowing, gold lined sleeves, then flowed out in a draping hoop skirt.

"I've meant to ask you Helen; why do you insist on wearing the Infineon circlet crown rather than wearing the hat that goes with this new dress?" Antonia asked.

"That hat has to be the most repelling adornment I have ever laid my eyes upon. I would rather wear this, since it seems more fitting to my tastes." Helen replied, tossing her hair back with a flip of her wrist and revealing the intricate gold weave 'crown' with a small onyx chip dangling in the front on her forehead.

"Well I for one like it a lot." Jack said as he walked up behind her, flicking his hands up to swing back the long blades of his White Fang knucklers, and put his arms around her waist. His new White MarQuini suit reflected the sunlight off of its brilliant white shirt as if it were a mirror, and a red bandana tied down his unruly spiky hair, decorated with small silver chains and beads.

"Well suit yourself, but we should get back to Herb Town. I hear that Matthew and Jenny have brought back some information pertaining to what these cannons are for from Omega Sector." Olsen said, sporting his new Fire Osafa, adorned with wide red leather belts and heavy buckles across his waist, wrists, shoes, with one belt wrapped around his head adorned with a gold buckle. On his hand he was sporting his knew claw, The Caster: a black metal sleeve having a solid gold dragon with glaring ruby eyes wrapping its body around it, all the way to his hand. The group ran back to the skiff they had been using to travel, quickly making the trip back to the Herb Town within an hour where Matthew, Lillianne and Jenny waited.

"So what did you find out?" Jack asked as he and the others walked up to the dining table. Matthew had donned the Blackened Commodore Armor, the large spaulders and tassets decorated with fine gold leaf designs.

"Nothing much more than what we already know about those cannons except for the mana frequency the cannons are supposedly tuned to. The more I think about it, the more confusing it gets: Why would the Black Mage need something with so much power?" Lillianne asked.

"It troubles me as well: There is The Infinity Gauntlet itself, a Mindrive, those 'Grace Gears' as well as the massive amount of mana he's been draining from the land." Helen mused until The Pirate Lord walked up to them, Crossing his arms over his chest and peeking at them from under his hat, pulled low over his eyes but just over his bushy white mustache.

"I hate to interrupt your thinking storm, but there be a problem with the liquids these panda be makin'." He told them, motioning over to a pot of herbal paste that had been sitting in the sun; from inside the pot, arms and legs had sprouted, wriggling around while a strange eye peered out on the world from another broken piece near the rim.

"What on earth happened?" Jenny asked, wearing her newly finished Anes of Sapphire: a fitted sleeveless blouse with a long blue skirt that looked to have a golden phoenix woven into the front of the skirt. Her bow, The Metus was slung across her back, resembling a bird that had been made into a bow while her new crossbow, The Casa Crow, hanging from her belt.

"I'm not really sure. There was a slight breeze, and then all the pastes and medicinal salves we had been making suddenly just began walking around." One of the pandas replied. Helen held her chin between her thumb and index finger, thinking about what it could be when something caught her eye.

"Wait, is this…" She held out her palm to the pot as a faint bluish white glow gathered in her hand while what looked to be a black eye with wings formed in her palm.

"Dispel!" she shouted as the pot began lighting up with the same bluish white glow, wriggling and bubbling as the glow sank into it and then went still. No sooner had the shaking stopped then the pot began shaking and squirming again, breaking free of the pandas that were holding it and running at Helen.

"No you don't!" Jack said, sliding between Helen and the pot, cocking back the hammer on his Peacemaker revolver which responded with an enormous roar as flames burst from the barrel and incinerated it.

"Jack! I was hoping we could at least attempt to find what it is that has taken over the salves!" Helen hollered, firmly setting her staff on the ground.

"Sorry, but the thing was charging; do you expect me to do nothing?"

"Calm down Jack. We just need you to think a little farther ahead next time. Besides, it looks like those things are getting more and more aggressive." Matthew pointed out as he watched some of the new recruits trying hard to push back an advancing army of pots and jars, but with little or no luck as Helen offered her analysis.

"There is some kind of magic at work here, however I would need a spell of a much higher caliber to dispel it. My normal dispelling method doesn't seem to work on this one." Jack thought for a moment, trying to think of how the game Maplestory and Ossyria were similar in this case.

"_In the game, if I remember right, Captain Hwang said that a monster had taken over the stuff inside the jars and was using it to create havoc with the Herb Town. But Helen says that it's some kind of magic at work. Maybe it's a magical monster? _Helen is it possible for a creature to be made purely from magic?" Jack asked, unsure of how the question would sound coming from him. Helen thought for a moment, searching her ever expanding mind for what it was that Jack was seeking.

"Yes it is possible, but it would require a great deal of power to perform something of this scale. The only ones who are even close to that kind of power are Grendal or Alcaster." Jack nodded as Jenny and Lillianne broke off and went to help their juniors fight off the advancing armies.

"Alright, this may take some time but it just may work. Olsen, do you remember the quest within the game for finding Minerva's spell book?" Matthew asked. Olsen rolled his eyes and nodded.

"How could I forget; that quest was such a royal pain in…"

"Yes yes, we all know. What if there is another dispelling method within that book? If I remember right, it should be within a statue about halfway up the Orbis Tower." Matthew interrupted.

"Then the first person we'd need to see is Alcaster. He should know for sure where we need to begin. Jack and Helen, do that while the rest of us will say here to hold off these things." Matthew called as he drew the Fraute from his belt with a satisfying ring and charged into battle, Olsen, Auzzy, Areis, Antonia and Nathan close behind. Helen and Jack ran back to the dock where their skiff when Kyrin tossed a bag of supplies into the boat.

"Aren't you on guard duty?" Jack asked as he watched his mom board the ship.

"Not today. I'm tired of being stuck here all the time while you guys go out and have all the fun!" she laughed, throwing the sack aside and untying the skiff. Jack shook his head as he guided the small craft away from the dock and into the sky, heading for El Nath where their journey would begin.

* * *

Checky dropped the wrench for the seventh time to the floor and growled, clambering down the arm of his biped machine, picking up the wrench and then clambering back up the nine feet to the shoulder of the mecha once more.

"Don't you think that you should put a tether on that thing?" Belle called as she walked over to him and threw up to him a small rope.

"Belle, you're a genius!" he laughed, tying the rope to the wrench and then to his belt loop.

"So what are you working on over here? Shouldn't this thing be up and running by now?" Belle called, looking up at him from her vantage point.

"It is, but the right shoulder still needs a bit of calibrating." Checky grunted as he tightened down the huge inch and a half nut.

"There! Now, let's see if that does it." he called, jumping down into the cockpit which rested between the arms of the reconditioned Drill mecha, looking like a ten foot tall, headless mechanical person. Checky's legs slid into braces suspended just above the floor of the cockpit while he tightened the restraining harness, flipping switches on the control board. Gauges came to life as a mechanical voice named off various checks while Checky snaked his arms into braces similar to the ones on his legs, slipping his fingers into glove-like hands at the ends.

"Rue Generator operational, beginning status check. Mana tanks at 100%, beginning status check. Balance matrix showing green, operational angle at 3.5 degrees positive initiated. Generator and Mana Tanks showing green, Beginning nano sync." A mechanical female voice said that sounded and awful lot like Claudine

"Charge igniter, begin startup sequence and disengage safeties." Checky commanded. Huge clamps on the sides of the mecha hissed steam and dislodged from the sides as they pulled back, letting the machine take its own weight while a rising growl could be heard as a small blue flame from the exhaust flared on its back, aimed downwards.

"Mana Hydraulic system holding steady, pressure within normal tolerances. Radar check complete and online. Nano sync complete, awaiting standby disengage command."

"Standby disengage, Lima Oscar two six niner." The machine jolted for a moment as the computer went silent. Checky pulled up his hands in a boxing stance as the machine's arms did the same. He took a step forwards, swinging his arms through different moves, walking around the garage as though he were an actual bigger version of himself.

"Mainframe; start training course Tango Lima Oscar one." A door opened to the side of the garage where a few training robots waited while Belle stood just outside the door to watch. As soon as he stepped into the room, it came alive with whines and clicks as the smaller robots followed after Checky like ants to a picnic. Checky's machine quickly ran and jumped over them, the ground shaking as he landed and then held up his arm, the machine following every move. The forearm split as a small three barreled machine gun rose from the hole, spinning up and erupting into a hailstorm of bullets. Checky then turned around and held up his other arm which did the same, sputtering loudly as shell casings jingled on the floor. A small door on right of the machine's chest rolled down as a huge stream of fire erupted into existence, toasting everything within its reach. Once the firestorm had calmed, Checky held up each of his arms again with fire and bullets spraying the room and taking out everything in sight. He looked over the devastation that now lay everywhere and walked out of the room over the bodies of the machines, large servos whining and hydraulic pistons hissing with each step.

"Whoa! Talk about overkill. So what's the mana for? I know you said that you weren't any good at mana manipulation." Belle commented, making sure to stay well out of the way.

"Actually it's what I used instead of hydraulic fluid. It lasts a lot longer and doesn't gunk up the system like the junk fluid we're given to run the bolt heaps. Engage standby mode." The mech pulled its shoulders back and stood to attention while the engine sounded like it went to a higher RPM.

"So what's with the Nano connection that I heard the computer say?" Belle asked, suddenly feeling like she were a little kid just asking question after question. Checky rocked his head back and put up a finger.

"Ah that. Before I made the control system, I had the Omega Sector send me a few vials of their nanites. I injected those into myself, which allows me to sync with the computer and change modes quicker than voice commands or switches on control sticks. This way I can just think it rather than try and remember what one button out of 50 does." Belle was impressed; not only had Checky made her a sturdy crossbow, but he had also made her the Arrow Turrets and the saddle for her panther. Deren came walking in, soot covering his face after he had been practicing the magic techniques he had been learning while getting used to the mace-like wand Checky had made for him which included a small mana tank at the top of the wand made of highly refined Rue.

"At the rate we're going, we should have a strong enough force to rush the mines and free all the laborers in there!" Deren shouted, swinging his wand around excitedly as Checky and Belle laughed in agreement. Claudine smiled as she composed the message for their outside supplier, asking for more parts so they could outfit more of the mechs like Checky's.

* * *

A few hours later, Jack, Kyrin and Helen touched down in El Nath, greeted by Aufheben whom they had found in the Snow Field in a statue of ice.

"Is Alcaster in?" Kyrin asked. Aufheben nodded and took them to him just as he was finishing the bowl of red bean soup that he was famous for.

"Ah, Kyrin, Jack, Helen; what can I do for my friends today?" the old man smiled under his bushy white mustache and eyebrows.

"We're actually looking for Minerva's book of spells. From previous experience, we've heard it was in the Orbis Tower in a statue." Helen stated as Alcaster rubbed his chin, searching his vast mind for information.

"Ah yes! The Book of Spells; I had actually retrieved it for rambunctious couple of youngsters from Edelstein the other day; they wanted to learn some of the techniques within the book to help themselves."

"So you have it here?" Jack asked excitedly.

"No, I returned it to the statue where it belongs. After all, a book like that could cause more damage than you know if it were to fall into the wrong hands. Why are you asking for it?" Alcaster replied seriously.

"Something has happened within Herb Town and my dispelling method is not working. I was hoping that there was something of a higher power I could use to hopefully stop it." Helen answered. Alcaster nodded his understanding, rubbing his chin over and over again deep in thought.

"I see. I'll take you to the statue, but you'll have to learn the dispelling method under me while here in El Nath. Even though you are the Guardian Mage of Ossyria and have the power of the Amethyst Crystal at your disposal, the method can easily get out of control if you aren't careful. Once you have learned it enough to perform the base, I will accompany you back to Herb Town so that you can perform this dispelling method and make sure that you don't kill yourself in the process. In the mean time, I will need you to gather a few things for me."

"Then what do we need?" Kyrin asked, eager to see if she could get a peek into the book to find something even more powerful that she could use to her advantage. Alcaster smirked slyly, as he brought out a list of items that they would need to get, making the others slump in disappointment.

"On this page should be everything that we will need to even open the statue's drawer. Now hurry, I'll get things ready on my end." Kyrin took the list and looked it over, immediately calling dibs on gathering the item marked as 'Enchanted Ring' located somewhere in the mountains North of the town.

Jack and Helen quickly looked over the list, then left to begin climbing the stairways and ropes up the tower into the cloud park where they would be able to find Stellar, Lunar and Solar magic badges of the pixies. They were greeted by Eliza who promised that she would help them in gathering the badges since the pixies in the area had been slowly declining after the defeat of the Pixie Father.

Kyrin was soon joined by Scadur the Hunter who would ward off the ferocious Hector wolves while Kyrin searched around what appeared to be a tomb where Alcaster's list had said the ring was stored. Two hours later, the three of them returned with the necessary items, climbing up the tower to the statue somewhere within the center of it with Alcaster leading the way.

"So Alcaster, why is it that no one ever learns straight from this book? Why is it hidden all the time?" Jack asked, helping the elderly Alcaster up a set of stairs.

"Long ago when Corus and Minerva were still on good terms, they began writing down the spells, forms and techniques they had learned so that one day they could pass along their knowledge to their children. Some of the less potent techniques were learned by your parents and passed along to you and others who came before you. However there are techniques that even the five masters are unable to control." Helen's ears burned as he spoke, peaking her interest as she heard him coming up the stairs.

"What if I were to train hard and dawn the Onyx Empress? Would I become powerful enough to learn even more from the book?" Alaster sadly shook his head.

"No Helen. Even though you will be many times more powerful than even your grandfather, even you won't be able to handle them. Only Minerva or Corus had that the kind of power it takes to wield them." Helen nodded her understanding just as they came to a door guarded by a strong spell. Alcaster took the spell down and led them in to reveal a statue of a beautiful woman with large wings decorated with small gem chips throughout their finely crafted feathers seated upon a partial pillar.

"Wow. The statue in the game doesn't look anything like this." Jack admired as he walked in through the door, walking up to the statue to get a closer look at it.

"This is actually a small statue that a stone mason made in honor of Minerva before one of her wings changed." Alcaster smiled as he slowly knelt and slipped the ring into a depression in the stone below the statue, allowing Alcaster to pull open a drawer. Inside was a hard leather bound book with brass edging and plates across the covers while a large steel lock held the covers shut.

"This is where those Pixie badges are needed." Alcaster smiled as he pulled a small bowl from his sleeve and reached for the badges and ground them into a fine powder and sprinkled it into the lock. Small gears inside the lock turned and clicked unto the lock sprang open and allowed then passage to the words stored inside.

* * *

Matthew held up his arm and pushed as hard as he could with the Shield form of his Gaia cloak, trying to keep from breaking the pots while Lillianne did what she could to further push them back by using the wind from her powerful swings.

"This is _REALLY_ starting to get on my nerves!" Matthew growled as he pushed back another wave of pots and jars.

"Just hang in there Matt!" Called Lillianne, pushing off another rather large pot creature.

"We really need to try and save all that we can of the stuff that's in here. It took three years to make each of these salves you know!" Olsen called as he pushed another jar of boiling Ginseng water back.

"Where is Helen? It's been hours since she left and I'm getting tired!" called one of the recruits.

"Just hang in there! She'll be here soon!" Jenny called, trying to sound hopeful as she was beginning to doubt that Helen was ever coming back. Olsen's skin suddenly began to tingle: franticly he looked around when he saw an enormous shuriken come fluttering through the air directed at Aeris. With barely any time to move, Olsen threw his arm down, drawing his own Hwabi and forcing mana into it making it grow huge as he spun around and hurled it with a grunt to intercept the incoming shuriken. Just as it left his hand a seal appeared around the star as fire exploded from around it, propelling the star even faster. Aeris looked up just as the shuriken was about to hit her when a streak of fire flashed past her and pinned the shuriken to a tree. Olsen was about to ask if she were alright when a searing pain exploded in his arm and face as a boiling pot of ginseng water tipped itself up, pouring boiling hot water all over him. The momentary lapse in Olsen's watch as he writhed allowed him to be suddenly overrun.

"OLSEN!" Auzzy called, kicking back a pot then jumping over the squirming mass to get to his master when he too was splashed with the boiling hot water in the face. Anotnia was the nearest to him and tried to fight her way through the advancing wave, but no matter what she did, she seemed to be getting further and further away from him. Jenny swung her bow as hard as she could, making a strong wind blow the pots back just long enough that she could get to Auzzy and Olsen before they became overrun again. She was just setting them down when another huge cauldron of boiling water walked up behind her and began to tip itself over to douse her with scalding liquid. With just enough time, she pulled up her cloak to block the waterfall making it wash to the sides. However she was quickly becoming overheated from the heat of the water seeping through the fabric, heating her arm to almost unbearable levels. Just when she thought that she wouldn't be able to hold off anymore of the heat Olsen managed to rise above his pain and pull his cloak between her cloak and her arm to create a heatproof and water proof shield.

"I'VE HAD IT!" Aeris shouted, throwing open the cylinder of her pistol, taking it off of its axel and throwing on another to accept a larger caliber round as the barrel glowed to adjust. Thumbing a Mighty caliber bullet into the air and catching it in the cylinder she flicked it shut, cocked back the hammer and pulled the trigger as it roared back with a loud explosion. The pot dumping water onto Olsen and Jenny shattered, spilling the water away from them and washing away a wave of creatures allowing them to come out from under their cloaks.

"I'm not playing defense any longer! It's time to stick it to 'em!" In a blur she reloaded her gun and began firing rounds off without holding back. Matthew grit his teeth and reached back for his Sunrise while blue electricity felt over the blade as he drew it, his Warrior's Overcharge flaring around his wrist. Nathan held his spear above his head and spun it around while the effect of Matthew's rage came over him, causing his cape to be blown up as threads of blue electricity shot from his spear to the ground. Nathan then slammed the tip of his spear into the ground making a sonic wave rip through the enemies surrounding him. Antonia soared through the air after using one of the flying pots from Nathan's attack as a spring board, quickly firing off bomb arrows into the midst of the pots, breaking them in large groups as though they were nothing.

Matthew could be seen swinging through each of the pots as though they were butter, gaining orbs with each swing until all five had gathered around his wrist. With a grunt that sounded more like a roar, he stepped wide and swung his sword in a wide arch and leveled all the pots within the Sunrise's path. Lillianne swung around a few times, gathering her momentum and then unleashed a powerful wave of ice, freezing the air and ground as it went hitting more and more pots with greater and greater speed. However just as the four of them were about to begin their next assault, a bright light appeared in their midst to reveal Helen, Alcaster who held a glowing open book, Jack and Kyrin. Helen's eyes glowed a bright violet as her hair looked as though it were made of violet water, with different shades of purple sparking in the light, flowing in an unseen wind.

"Helen, are you…" But Matthew didn't have time to finish his question as Helen held out her arms to her sides, then swung her left fist down to her center while she swung her right hand up and down to meet her fist, holding two fingers upright.

"Be still, and be vanquished!" She said, her voice echoing as she shot her hands forwards and held her palms flat to the ground. A wave of violet light pulsed from her chest, hitting every pot and making them suddenly become still, hanging in mid air. In another instant the pots then settled on the ground as the holes within them repaired and a small spark of light rose from inside the pot, gathering in the middle of the swarm of pots, becoming contained within a glass bottle. Helen then folded her hands and closed her eyes as she took a long a meaningful breath while the glow in her hair and eyes ceased.

"What in Ossyria was that?!" Jenny asked, as she stopped in mid-wrap of Olsen's burns.

"That was a very powerful dispelling method. I've never seen this particular method used to such a degree, and with such little effort. You five just may possess the power to wield the secrets of this book someday after all!" Alcaster said with a happily surprised voice as Helen then told them of what it was that she had learned.

"That explains a lot, but that doesn't quite explain why your eyes and hair were glowing like they were." Matthew said as he dropped the Sunrise into the sheath on his back and transformed the Gaia back into its cloak form.

"From studies within my Grandfather's library, I was able to learn that the amount of power that we have been using is only small, minute fraction of the Crystal's true power. In order for us to be able to use such a high level of its power for any extended amount of time on command, we must first become equivalent to what we might know as a level 200 character within the MapleStory game." Helen replied. Nathan walked up to the small bottle still hanging in the air which looked to be completely empty. He was about to reach for it when Helen teleported to him and stopped him.

"Do not touch it. I thought that I sensed something like this at first, but I was not able to dispel it before. This is a swarm of magic parasites; when released into the air, they will take hold of anything that it comes in contact with to become its host. Anything it touches can serve as a vessel, but mostly things that are liquid in nature are the first thing that it will try to control." Jack crossed his arms and huffed hard.

"The only thing that we couldn't figure out though is who was stupid enough to get a hold of something like this and release it into the wind in the first place!" he strongly voiced as he punched his left hand.

"That would be me." Came a smooth reply from what seemed to be nowhere.

"Who are you!? Show yourself!" Matthew demanded, drawing his Fraute and transforming his cloak once again into a shield.

"Oh now where's the fun in that? Olsen was very clever in deflecting my shuriken, but how are you all against defending against something that you can't see I wonder." The voice said when the air behind Matthew seemed to fold and reveal a man with charcoal skin appear, striking Matthew across the back with a Bamboo sword and brought to his knees. Just as quickly as he appeared, the man once again disappeared from view.

"Oh my, not as well as I thought. This could be so much more fun if you were to fight back, and yet you can't do anything as I take you down one by one." The voice said again as the air folded behind Aeris allowing him to quickly hit a series of points on her body and bring her to the ground. Nathan turned just as the air folded, picked up his spear and threw it straight for the man with all he had, only to make it stick into the tree behind where the man had been standing a moment before.

"Aw, how pitiful! That's two I've taken down and you have yet to put so much as a rash on me!" the voice laughed.

"Were you the one who released the Magic Parasite?" Helen demanded. The voice laughed again.

"And what If I was? It was merely a test to see how powerful you lot are. It matters not to me whether or not you live, or if any of you live for that matter. All I want is to be able to allow a new era to begin, with Mage at the head!" One by one, the others were taken down as the man would appear, strike a set of pressure points on their body and disappear once again until Olsen was the only one remaining, still trying to rise above the pain that was burning on his arm and face.

"It looks like you're the only one remaining Olsen; my how boring this was. If I kill you then I will be promised a seat at the table with the Black Mage. I really thought that this was going to be a much more interesting fight, but it seems that all I've done is make myself bored. And so with that, I say, farewell Guardians." Olsen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the winds as they gently whispered around him. Helen looked up from her position on the ground to see the air fold behind Olsen and reveal the man standing behind him with what appeared to be a bamboo sword in his hand. She tried to call out but there was nothing that she could say; it was as if her voice simply didn't exist!

The man raised the sword above his head and was about to strike Olsen when in a blur of motion, the man grunted while blood ran down from the corners of his mouth. He looked down to see that Olsen's claw hand was driven through his gut. Bands of violet colored light began curling around Olsen's arm, disappearing into his elbow while his burns healed. Just before his burns were completely healed, Olsen pulled his fist from the man's gut, swinging his hand hard to the side to shake the blood from it as the man stumbled back.

"Thank you, I needed that." Olsen growled, looking over his shoulder with a cold light in his blazing eyes.

"But how? You shouldn't have been able to sense my presence behind that veil." the man said, dropping the scroll and sword as he cast a simple healing spell to close the wound he had received.

"That's where you're wrong. Did you forget that I am the Guardian Ninja of Ossyria?! I may still be human, but I have a power far greater than you could ever hope to defeat, as do all of the Guardians of Ossyria! You're far outclassed, Bamboo Warrior." Olsen shouted as Lillianne ran from person to person holding a small talisman above them to release the nerve attack from the man.

"You'll pay for that!" Matthew growled as his body began to glow with a golden light, the shadows around him becoming that of gold light while the other Guardians began to do the same as the Mana Overdive took effect. The man quickly reached for his sword, but was suddenly sent flying when Jack hit him square in the jaw with a powerful lighting punch. Just as he was beginning to recover from that hit, Helen appeared behind him and swung her staff as a blast of flames hit his back and sent flying into the air. Jenny suddenly appeared above him and quickly fired four spine arrows, two in his shoulders and two in his hips, then swung her bow hard making a blast of wind hit him. Olsen was the next to appear, drawing his Cursayer dagger and spare kunai, kicking the warrior in the back to stop his fall. With a blur of motion, he slashed at his back, threw the daggers to the ground and folded his hands with his index fingers held up.

As if from thin air, priests, ninja and sumo fighters appeared, each of the seven fighters hitting him once, followed by dark colored bats hitting him on all sides until he was shot forward. Lillianne held her halberd handle out and stopped him dead before slamming him into the ground. The man tried to get up despite the pain in his shoulders, hips and back, but was suddenly hit with a volley of slashes from Lillianne, all the while her halberd began to glow with a hot yellow light until she swung hard and hit him in the gut with an orange beam of pure energy. Matthew took a breath then braced against his shield, stopping him dead while his sword iced over. He swung up, then left, up again and then back down, slamming the man into the ground face first, the arrows driving through his body and out his back. Matthew then held his sword to the skies as a beam of light rose into the sky. The warrior struggled to get up, laughing slightly as his hand brushed against his bamboo sword.

"Heh, is that really, ALL YOU'VE GOT?!" he shouted, grabbing his sword and getting up in a blur to connect with Matthew's neck when five swords made of pure light fell from the sky and drove into the man's body and sword arm, stopping him in mid stride.

"That is a mere taste of what we can do. Run back to The Mage, and tell him the day is coming that we will stop him." Matthew growled as he dropped his arm making the swords and arrows fade, dropping him to the ground fading into unconsciousness. Matthew took a calming breath, breaking the Mana Overdrive and returning them all to their pervious power levels.

"Helen; can you heal his wounds? I want to make sure that he gets back to The Mage with our message." Matthew asked, ceremoniously sheathing his sword. Helen nodded as she held her hands over him with her healing touch while Olsen undid the nerve attack spells on their apprentices. Kyrin and Alcaster came from behind a tree and clapped their hands.

"Where were you the entire time?!" Jenny asked with a squeak in her voice.

"Are you kidding? There was no way that I would want to get involved in that fight. If another of the masters where here then maybe; but that was a very impressive show of power and control." Kyrin complemented. Matthew however sat and thought about what it was that had happened.

"I would have killed him if it wasn't for something that he had said." Matthew mumbled. Kyrin became curious and turned to him.

"What did he say?"

"He said that he had been promised a seat with the Black Mage if he killed us. But thinking back to when we had gone to Ariant, Jack had said that the Black Mage himself had come there and took Areda away when she was just about to kill them. That tells me that we are somehow important to the Mage; for what I don't know, but it does make me wonder whether or not we've been walking into a trap this entire time." Helen stopped her healing and began pondering the same thought as Matthew.

"That raises a lot of questions Matthew. Such as, is the Mage gathering the Crystal Husks to somehow extract our power? Is our becoming stronger really working in the Mage's favor?" The group of them began to seriously think about what it was they may have stumbled into, not sure if they were indeed doing Ossyria a favor, or sending it to hell. With questions mounting in their minds, the group gathered their belongings and headed back into town, not seeing the black hands wrap around the man and make him disappear into a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Deren walked to the back alley with Claudine when they heard the small bell to tell them that their informant had arrived, confirmed with their passphrase.

"It's been a while since we've seen you. What else have you gathered?" Claudine asked. The man in the shadows laughed slightly.

"Security's been tightened around the castle for some unknown reason so it took me a while to get out unnoticed. Anyway; The Mage asked the Bamboo Warrior to defeat the Guardians, but of course that failed. Also Dragon and Eleanor have become almost inseparable, even though the Mage from time to time still gets slightly physical with Eleanor." Deren nodded as he thought.

"Anything else?" the person sighed heavily as he replied.

"Yes actually. It wasn't anything concrete, but somewhere near the mines there is a facility that houses the storage tanks holding mana The Mage has been draining from the land."

"Really? Hmm, this is worth looking into. Keep us posted." Claudine said as the sound of thick leather fluttering in the dark left them while Deren and Claudine walked back to the garage.

"So what do you think?" Deren asked. Claudine shook her head.

"I'm not sure. Hiding those tanks near the mines seems too easy. We'll be sure to send a scout out tomorrow and see if anything comes up out of the ordinary. Beyond that we'll just have to wait and see and rely on the informant."

* * *

Kendrew's eyes fluttered as he slowly awoke, finding himself strung up with arms and hands spread wide and locked in place within the dungeon of The Mage's castle, and tried to pull free when The Mage's hissing whispers stopped him cold.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The Mage eyes laughed while breathy whispers pulsed in the air as though he were laughing as he shook his head. Kendrew grit his teeth in anger as The Mage shushed his question to him.

"You bastard! You knew I wouldn't succeed didn't you!?" The Mage narrowed his eyes as he breathed a self controlling breath until Eleanor appeared beside him and answered.

"That's exactly right; you never would have succeeded. But now thanks to you, they are beginning to question their purpose for being here! Do you know how much extra work you have just created for The Mage?" she asked with an agitated tone.

"I just told them plainly what was going to happen…" Kendrew choked when The Mage appeared before him and gripped his neck tightly. The Mage growled his disapproval, hissing loudly into Kendrew's ears until he reached his fingers from around his neck to Kendrew's jaw and squeezed hard, making him open his mouth. The Mage them reached into his mouth, grabbed his tongue and ripped it from his mouth as blood poured from between his lips. Kendrew's cell door slammed hard, echoing through the stone walls as The Mage left him hanging there, blood pouring from his mouth and pooling on the floor. He then looked in the corner, watching as his tongue began to sizzle and rot in the thick miasma fog. Dragon appeared at his side, following Eleanor and The Mage as they walked back to the Gauntlet Room, then walked to a desk and reached into it pulling a marionette doll from the desk.

"Master, far be it for me to question you, but what is that?" Dragon asked. Eleanor looked back to Dragon, walking over to him and putting her arms around his waist, pulling her body close to Dragon.

"That is a projection Doll. I've only seen him use it once in an experiment, but it allows The Mage to create a temporary person using this doll as a base." Eleanor explained. The Mage nodded in agreement, turning to the window as he cuddled the doll in his palm, whispers drifting though the air.

"Is see, and with this doll you intend to fix the questioning of their pupose?" Dragon asked as The Mage turned over his shoulder and nodded. Upon turning back to the doll, The Mage narrowed his eyes when a strange, soft echo could be heard in his mind, coming to him like a long lost memory.

"_You're so heartless Corus._" A soft female voice said in his mind. The Mage looked up and narrowed his eyes before chuckling to himself as he thought; even after all these years, even from beyond the grave, Minerva was still trying to interfere.


	3. Chapter 2: (Xmas Special) The Greatest

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Chapter 2 (Christmas special): The Greatest Gift of All!

"Come on Van; you're not really gonna play hide a seek way out here are you?" Cutie asked as she looked around the rock infested plain.

"You aren't getting cold feet are you?" Van asked as he led the group of his five friends through the crags and piles of limestone.

"I'm just worried that we'll get caught by the Black Wings. They say that there's a mad scientist that will do…"

"Oh stow it. We're the fastest ones in Edelstein remember!? Now go and hide, I'll count. One, two, three…" Cutie, Ulrika, Beigoon, and 'Smarts' ran in every direction, trying to find good hiding spots among the piles of rock and old mining equipment. Sure it was a bit dangerous, but that was half the fun!

"…Nine, TEN! Ready or not here I come!" Van turned around from his counting spot quickly making his way around until he suddenly heard a slurping sound coming from inside an old mining car. Van stealthily ran up to it and jumped up to the lip, taping Beigoon on the shoulder.

"Found you!" he called. Beigoon's shoulders dropped.

"Aw come on! How do you always find me first? It isn't fair." Van laughed to himself as he climbed down and watched his tubby friend climb out.

"_Because you're always licking a lollipop fatty._" Van thought to himself as Beigoon followed Van like a prisoner until they found Cutie snickering in the entrance of an air duct carved into the rock. Disappointedly she followed Van as they search for "Smarts", who was easy enough to find since he was hiding just behind a boulder.

"Alright, now comes the hard one: Ulrika." Van said proudly, puffing out his chest and tapping on it with his fist.

"Just give up Van; she's outsmarted you six games in a rom." Beigoon whined, sticking the lollipop back into his mouth and slurping off the flavor.

"No! I will win over Ulrika one day! And I will make sure that I do! Now come on!" he commanded as he walked on, searching under, around and inside everything that he could see looking for Ulrika until he saw a small dark crag in the side of a hill where a dim yellow glow seemed to be coming from.

"I don't remember this being here." 'Smarts' called. Van reached to his belt, pulled up his pants and bumped up the back of his hat.

"You're mine now Ulrika! You guys go back to town for now." Van growled as he squeezed through the crack, and disappeared into the black inside. Once he was inside however, he thought that he heard something like bubbles and flowing water through pipes. Slowly and carefully he felt along the rocky wall, seeming to descend until he came to what looked to be a giant room. Along each wall were tanks with people inside of them submerged in a bubbling blue liquid, hoses clamped to their extremities and wire pads hooked up to each of their bodies. From these tanks, metal pipes ran into the bottom and top. All the pipes then converged towards the center of the room and disappeared below the floor. In the center of the room was a giant control board with wheels, valves, levers, gauges and small LCD screens showing vital signs. Van walked up to the board and saw a lever marked 'lights', pulling it down with a grunt. The walls suddenly lit up each tank one by one which reached further and further back until Van couldn't see anymore.

"What in Ossyria is this?" his whispered, looking around at the hundreds of people suspended within the liquid. Van was unaware of a girl within one of the tanks opening her eyes and looking up to follow the sound of the voice that she heard. Slowly she moved through the thick gel-like substance her body was submerged in, and placed a hand on the glass. However when she tried to speak, bubbles floated from her mouth and nothing but garbled noises came out, flowing along with the semi-warm liquid that pulled her pale golden hair up until she remembered how to speak. Van was suddenly brought out of his daze when one of the screens flashed a message across it: 'Tend tank 00246. Stabilizer flux detected.' Van climbed up onto a chair and was about to try and find out what that meant when he heard a weak voice, as if it were coming through an intercom.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Van looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from when he saw one of the girls waving her hand within the tank.

"You… You're alive?" The girl smiled weakly: all her motions looked so slow and graceful, almost as if she were a mermaid, a legend that Van had read about many times.

"Well, just barely. I can't remember the last time that I stood on my own two feet." Van walked a little closer, climbing over the safety rail and inching over to her.

"But you should really get outta here before you get caught. The Doctor doesn't like it when other people other than the Black Wings officers are in here!"

"I'm not leaving you here, not like this. Are there others awake?" Van asked, jumping from the platform onto the ledge where the girl's tank was as she huffed.

"You don't get it. You'll be put into a tank too if you don't get outta here!" Van looked through the glass, but saw that her lips weren't moving when she talked.

"How are you talking?" The girl became agitated and pointed in the direction that Van had come.

"Go! You'll get in a lot of trouble! Please, I don't want to see anyone else get hurt!" Van chuckled and smiled smugly as he put his hand on the outside of the tank.

"What's your name?" The girl seemed taken aback by the question, her eyes becoming wide as she tried to think.

"_Name? Did I ever have a name? Yes! Yes I did, but what was my name?_" she thought to herself as she pushed off the back of the tank and reached out to put her hand on the inside of her tank on his hand, when the sound of voices began coming down the hall that led further into the mountain. Van looked back for a moment, and then quickly scooted beside and behind the girl's tank as she returned to a calm state, trying to look like she always did when the scientist wasn't there.

"…yes yes I know that things aren't going as fast as his Magician-ness wants it, but it takes time to break each person so that they will just do as we want! Isn't that right Mr. Snuggles?" The first man said, wearing a white lab coat and wooden glasses. Atop his head was a tuft of white hair tied with a hair band having two cherries and holding a teddy bear.

"Then break them faster. The plan is in its final stages and you have yet to even produce so much as a gallon of stable Mana." The second said, seeming to be a high ranking Black Wings officer.

"Yes yes, details details." The scientist said, setting down the teddy bear and checking over the control board.

"Ah, it seems that our little iron bar in 00246 is still acting up! This ought to teach her to remain asleep like a good little girl!" He flipped out a keyboard and typed in a command. Van watched as two prongs shot out from the top of the tank, and then sent an electrical current through the liquid. The girl looked as though her body locked up while the power surged through the tank for a few seconds and then died away, leaving her floating limp.

"That was only 125 volts this time. But wake up again and I'll double that!"

"Gelimer, you can't afford to lose anyone. The town is already low on citizens as it is, and The Mage will not tolerate any losses." The scientist looked back with a grumpy look on his face and flipped the keyboard shut.

"If you want me to break these things any faster, you're going to have to let me do my work! Otherwise, you're doing nothing more than getting in my way!" Gelimer shouted. Van had had enough of this talk; he had to do something! Feeling around in the dark behind the tank, he felt what appeared to be a junction box. Slowly he opened it so that it wouldn't make any noise and then carefully looked inside, using the glow from the tank to aid him. He felt around and found that the outgoing cable led right into the control board.

"_I hope this doesn't kill anyone!_" he thought as he reached in and pulled a thick red wire from its place. In the background Van could hear the steady hum of some kind of a machine, but a couple seconds after he pulled the wire, he could hear that hum whine down and the sound of the liquid flowing through the tank next to him slow to a stop.

"What happened?" The officer asked, taking his hands out of his pockets while the scientist typed madly at the keyboard, trying to find the root of the problem.

"The main pump has had a power failure. We can by-pass it with the backup, but we first need to start the generator, and only I know how to do that. Come with me, I'm going to need some muscle." Quickly the sound of footsteps faded as Van slunk out from behind the tank when his hand brushed against something metal. He looked down and saw that it was a large wrench that apparently had been left behind. The girl opened her eyes as she panted from the electricity pulsing through her frail looking body a few moments before.

"Hang on; I'll get you outta there." Van said as he picked up the wrench and steadied himself, pulling his arms back.

"Vita." Van stopped and relaxed his arms.

"What?"

"My name, it's Vita." Van smirked and nodded.

"Van. Now get back a little, I'll get you outta there." Vita pushed away from the glass as Van hit it with everything that he could, but the wrench only thudded and wobbled the thick glass. Van picked up the heavy wrench again and swung again, and again, and again, hitting the same spot every time until the glass began to crack.

"Get ready!" Van called as Vita reached up and hung on to the cords dangling from the top of her tank. With one last effort, grunt and shout, Van swung the wrench and broke through the glass. The liquid that was inside wasn't what he expected; it was thick like a gel and it smelled slightly, but it was out which allowed Van to run in and catch Vita before she hit the grate on the bottom of the tank. However that was proving difficult since her skin was slippery from the goo that was covering her. With a wretch, Vita coughed out the goo that was still in her lungs, coughing for a few seconds until Van pulled her up onto his back.

"Hang on tight ok?" Vita nodded weakly and hung on as best she could while Van inched along the edge and jumping back onto the platform where he had been before. Carefully he set her down and then took off his jacket and put it around her then zipped it up.

"That should keep you warm until you're safe." Van said. Vita smiled weakly as he picked her back up and made his way back out the passage, running through the piles of rock to get her to safety. But it wasn't long until he heard voices yelling and footsteps coming after him.

"THERE HE IS!" one voice said.

"Don't let her get away!" said a second. Van pushed his legs as hard as he could to make it back to town where he would be able to hide and keep Vita from getting caught again.

"It's alright, just leave me and save yourself Van." Vita whispered.

"No! I'm not leaving you behind! Not after all of this!" He could almost feel the men closing in behind him when up ahead he saw a rope ladder drop down with a blond man having a hat pulled low over his eyes hanging just above the bottom.

"COME ON LAD! YOU CAN MAKE IT!" he called as Van ran with all he had. The man chasing him stopped and then pulled a pistol from his belt, firing at the small aircraft hovering just behind a slurry pipeline. Van ignored the ricocheting bullets as he climbed part way up the ladder with one hand, and hung on to Vita with the other.

"ACE! GET US OUTTA HERE!" the man called, as the engines spun up and began to hover higher into the air, pulling the rope into its belly. The officer fired a couple more rounds at the aircraft before putting his arm down and slumping his shoulders.

"Gelimer isn't going to be happy about this." He mumbled to himself.

"So you let them get away did you?" a voice growled making the officer jump and fall to the ground.

"Dragon! You…"

"It's _Lord_ Dragon now. Your new orders are to report the Chief Memory in Edelstein where you will be assigned to watch the boarder. Your rank of Brigadier General has been stripped, and your privileges for leave have also been stripped, as well as your personal car. Here are your orders: show them to the Chief and he shall post you." Dragon said calmly, handing him a stiff note of paper and then turning to his patrol once again.

Meanwhile Van and Vita were flown safely back into town where the pilot brought the aircraft down quietly behind a very tall clock tower. As soon as they had touched down, others began swarming into the aircraft, picked up Vita and whisking her away deep into a garage. Van was about to go after her when the man that had called to them clamped down on his shoulder.

"Just where do you think you're going laddy?" he asked sternly. Even through Van was smug and defiant most of the time, right now he didn't feel so much so. Especially not with this very strong man holding him that he somehow managed to shake off.

"I'm going to see if Vita is alright." The man shook his head and clamped his hand down on his shoulder again, harder this time.

"You're coming with me." Roughly he guided Van through the garage and out onto the main street where he let go and then just disappeared. Van was confused: what exactly was going on? Was he in bigger trouble than he thought? He adjusted his jacket when he felt another hand placed on his shoulder.

"Well, Van, I didn't expect to see you out of school today. Are you feeling alright?" Van turned to see the headmaster of the school, Professor Ferdi.

"No, I'm feeling alright." Ferdi swished his mustache and felt Van's forehead.

"Oh my my, this isn't good, no not good at all! You have a very high fever!" Van was confused even further, he didn't feel chilly and his forehead felt like it always did. He was fine! But before he could protest, Ferdi led him into the school building, locked the door, and then led him out back and into what looked to be a drain culvert hidden by branches and grass. From inside could be heard hammers hitting steel and wrenches tightening bolts as they walked further into the pipe. What it opened up into was a large machine shop and an office in the back where Ferdi pointed him to.

"Go and talk to her, she's expecting you." Van swallowed hard as he made his way through the shop directly for the office where a woman with the sung black pants and corset waited. As soon as he entered, the woman looked up and smiled at him.

"Oh! You must be the one who helped rescue the little girl! Excuse Jay for his behavior, he's just a bit rough around the edges. That was a very brave thing you did rescuing that girl. You can call me Claudine; what's your name kid?" She asked, walking to the front of her desk and leaning against it, crossing her legs and arms.

"Van. The name's Van." Claudine held out her hand, which Van nervously shook.

"Well Van, have a seat and tell me everything."

* * *

Lillianne pulled her fur trimmed cloak tighter around her shoulders as a cool breeze blew over the waters within the Bay; there was a chill in the air that also brought with it smells of festive cookies, breads, warm cider and other various treats. She had been to Rein with Aran and Lilin many times before, but the cold there was nothing like the cold that descended on Ossyria around this time of year. She quickly made her way through the town until she came to Matthew's quarters, calling out to him as she stood by the cloth door.

"Hey Matt; you in there?"

"No I'm actually right here." Matthew said as he walked up behind her. Lillianne jumped and turned around, quickly grabbing his hand and half led half dragged Matthew with her until she was just outside of the town.

"So, what are you gonna do for Winter's Eve?" Matthew raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Winter's Eve! You know, the day you get lots of gifts and have a big party with your family and friends?" Matthew thought for a moment as his eyes lit up.

"Oh! You mean Christmas? Um… I hadn't really thought about it." He said nervously, while scratching the top of his forehead. Lillianne's face fell as she became annoyed.

"You forgot about it didn't you?" She asked, hanging her arms limply from her shoulders.

"No, I haven't. But I did accept a mission to go someplace special. Someone named Roony is supposed to meet me on the dock and take me there." Lillianne hung her head and groaned.

"Fine, I'll go get my halberd."

"No! This is something that I'm doing alone. Nobody can come with me." Lillianne stopped and looked back at him.

"But Matt, I thought we were gonna…"

"Don't worry, I'll be back in time." Lillianne dropped her chin to her chest and sighed heavily before Matt put a hand under her chin and picked it back up then gently kissed her.

"I'll be back soon, I think he's here." He patted her shoulder and ran off, his jeans and leather jacket the only thing that she saw as he walked off. She hadn't been able to see much of Matthew as of late, and was beginning to feel a bit lonely. Jack had Helen, Jenny had Olsen, Evan had Mir, Athena had Eckhart; everybody had their significant other with them, accept her. A small tear rolled down her cheek as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself when she heard a voice.

"Why are you looking so forlorn Lillianne?" She looked up and wiped her eyes when she saw that it was the Empress.

"Oh, no, I just had something in my eye." Cygnus smiled and walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry; He said that he would be back and I have faith that he will. Matthew isn't the kind of person that would leave the ones he cares about for good." Lillianne's cheeks flared red.

"You heard?" Cygnus nodded and smiled slyly. Lillianne's cheeks flared ever brighter as she looked down to her hands.

"Do you have someone special to spend Winter's Eve with?" Lillianne asked, trying to get the red in her cheeks to subside. Cygnus looked away as she sat down on a pile of wood and pulled her sky blue down cloak around her.

"Not the way you might think of it. I'm not completely alone since I do have Shinsoo, but as far as being on the human plane, no I don't." Cygnus tossed her hair back as she sighed, crossed her legs and put her hands around her knee.

"Just after I was put into the contract with Shinsoo, I was hurled into training to be the Empress which didn't include courting. Being the crowned empress, I was soon too busy for any kind of personal affairs. But now, I'm afraid that it's a little too late for me since I don't have any kind of romantic experience." Lillianne chuckled and shook her head.

"It's never too late. Just look at Jin and Syl: they took a while and still managed to find what it was that they needed the most. I can see why most men would be afraid of trying to get close to you though: you're the Empress of Ossyria. One wrong word or move could end up in dire consequences for them." Cygnus looked up as Lillianne interestedly and with what appeared to be a spark of hope in her eyes.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not really sure how it's supposed to work within royalty, but in the normal world, a girl's heart is hers to give, not a man's to take. You just need to get out there as yourself: as just, Cygnus, not as the Empress."

"It's just as I've been telling you Cygnus. Lillianne may be young but she speaks with wisdom. I care for you, but I would in no way hold it against you to give your heart to another." Shinsoo gently said as he snaked his head to where the two of them were. Cygnus nodded and smiled.

"Then, can you help me? I'm afraid I would be of no use by myself." Lillianne's face lit up in a huge smile as she brought Cygnus to her feet.

"First off, we need to get you dressed in something a little more, casual."

"Why is that?" Cygnus asked as they mounted Shinsoo.

"So that way you can just walk around town and just meet people. Who knows, you might even find that you like someone that you've known for a long time. Oh this is going to be fun!" Lillianne laughed as the two of them took to the skies on Shinsoo's back into Mu Lung where Cygnus's temporary palace had been set up.

* * *

It seemed just like yesterday when truck 1503 was in the Rue Mine repair shop for a new axel. Quickly Abi hopped off her stool where she ate her meager sandwich and walked over to the tracked truck.

"What's wrong this time Sam?" she asked, looking under the truck again to see if the axel was still holding up.

"I think the engine's going out. This old thing will barely move its own weight, let alone 10 tons of Rue Ore." Abi huffed as she put down her sandwich and pulled up the hood flap as a plume of black smoke billowed into her face.

"I hate to say it, but I think that thing is shot. It'll take at least a day to repair." She coughed when truck 361 rumbled by then backfired and came to a bumpy stop.

"What wrong Jess?" she called from the repair station.

"Nothin' Abs, just hit the brakes before I hit the clutch." He called as the truck sputtered back to life and then rolled away.

"What's the problem? Why isn't this truck running ore back to the surface?" the marshal asked, walking up to the two of them.

"Because this truck is shot. And here's a list of what I need to keep your other trucks running." Abi said as she forced a clipboard into the man's chest.

"New Caterpillars for 4872, a new drive train for 201, new transmission for 834, shocks, clutches, safety glass, buttons, levers, cables. What's wrong with this one?" he asked, pointing to 1503.

"Then engine just quit. I've bored that thing out so many times that the cylinder must have blown out."

"So what can you do about it?" the Marshal asked.

"Nothing; the block is gone. I'd need new pistons, rings, block and crankshaft just to get the thing to move again, and that's just for starters. Why can't you send some of this stuff back to the Garage in town? I hear the mechanic there is really good at this stuff." The marshal growled and threw the clipboard to the ground.

"Enough of your insolence! To the air ducts with you!" he shouted, shoving a wire brush at her.

"What about the degreaser?" Abi asked. The Marshal just looked back at her over his shoulder and spit at her before turning back to his office and shut the door. Abi growled as she walked over to the ladder and pulled open the air duct to climb in it to once again scrub the grease off the fan motors so that they wouldn't become caked and get over heated.

"Just hang in there Abs, you'll think of something to get this pig up and running again." The driver called. Abi snorted and laughed, crawling through the air ducting to make her way to the first of six fan motors that would need scrubbing, since she was the only one small enough to get to them at the moment. Abi was the daughter of a mechanic who used to run the repair station for the mine before the Black Wings took over. But just after her 15th birthday, the Black Wings moved in and sent her father to work closer to the main digging area and hadn't heard from him or seen him since. With their mechanic now gone, they made her the new mechanic, often bringing her the Drill Mechs that would need new drills fitted or joints changed since the bedrock that the Rue vein ran through was hard on the machines, sometimes even sheering a drill bit clean in half. As she made her way to the first motor she happened to pass by a vent next to the miner's break room, which was often empty since the biggest break they would get was barely 15 minutes long to eat. Normally she wouldn't stop to listen to the dull conversations that would go on in there, but this time, something one of them said caught her ear.

"I'm serious Jerry! There are rumors going around that some people in the city are actually gathering a rebel force!"

"Are you sure that you didn't get hit in the head too many times with Rue Ore?" the second asked.

"No, I'm dead serious! Do you know what this could mean for the rest of us?" The second one snorted.

"That we'll be getting more recruits soon?" the first grunted.

"No! It means that there is hope yet! We can break free of these Black Wings people!"

"And you know this for sure?"

"It's just a rumor at this point, but I hear that you can get a message to them and that they will come to your aid wherever you are. They are strong enough to resist the Black Wings! Isn't that great news?!" Abi didn't hear what else was said; all she could think about were the last few words the man had said: They are strong enough to Resist the Black Wings. Resist: was that even possible? For the rest of what she assumed to be the day, she thought about what it was that she had heard; only stopping when her head hit the pillow and she fell asleep. The next morning she was rudely awakened by the sounds of the miners all running to where someone sounded like they were getting the pulp beaten out of them. Abi sleepily pressed her way through the crowd and saw a boy who must have been at least 10 being pummeled over and over again by an officer under the Marshal. She tried to run in and help, but another Black Wings officer stopped her. She then looked around and noticed that Officers everywhere were holding back the crowd from helping the poor boy. Finally the officer stopped and pulled the boy from the ground by his hair.

"Now, I will ask you again: Who was it that came and contacted you about the underground rebel faction?" the boy just looked up at the marshal through his bruised and bloody eyes and then spit a large glob of blood into the Marshal's face, smiling toothlessly.

"Can't get me to talk that easily Old Goat." The marshal reached into his coat and pulled out his kerchief to wipe the blood from his face.

"I see, well then, I have no more use for you. Corporal, do with him as you wish." The other man grinned darkly, throwing the boy to the ground and beginning to hit him with hard punches. Meanwhile the Marshal began to pace around and offer a disheartening speech.

"You may have heard rumors about a secret sect within Edelstein who oppose the Black Mage and the Wings. Anyone who is contacted by, or attempts to make contact with them, shall be subject to the fullest extent of the law, and, if necessary, taken to see the Black Mage himself for punishment. Do not fraternize with these people. They are terrorists and seek to corrupt you." Once he was done, the corporal wiped his fists off and stood back to his feet, before giving the boy one final kick.

"Now get back to work!" The Marshal shouted. Abi however pushed her way through the crowd over to the boy, holding him off the ground for a while: he looked more like a living corpse.

"You have to get out of here: this is no place for a young woman like yourself." The boy garbled as blood filled his mouth.

"Don't talk; we'll get you some help." Abi said getting ready to set him down when the boy grabbed her shirt collar.

"I can see it in your eyes, you want out. Get out and get to the resistance, and fight 'em. You have to fight back; it's the only way for Edelstien to be free. Fight 'em; fight 'em before they run us all into the ground, and give an extra hit for me." The boy said desperately before his grip faltered and his head fell back. Abi could barely hold back her tears: there was a kid so much younger than her and was doing so much more to break free. And what was she doing? Just standing there and working like nothing was wrong. But the death of that one boy before her eyes changed her for the better: she wouldn't just lie down and take it any longer. She would fight! No longer would she be Abi the Mechanic; she was Abi, the Resistor. For the next few days, as other drill mechs and Ore trucks came in, she would pirate parts from them and hide them within the furthest part of her garage. With each new part, something began to form, something that would help her break free of these Black Wings for good.

* * *

Claudine nodded her head, deep in thought and concern after hearing the details of Van's gruesome tale.

"So that's what the tanks are for that we've been hearing so much about." She then walked past him and opened the door, motioning for him to follow her as she walked through the back of the garage where a mess hall had been made, but they still walked further until they came to a small medical bay. In there, some of the students under Belle, Deren or Checky sat with small cuts, or minor plasma burns. All the way in the back was Vita, where she was constantly being watched over by attending nurses.

"Claud, what are you doing back here? You hardly ever visit." Deren asked as he was walking down from the mess hall.

"Just taking Van here to see the girl he rescued since he's the only one she knows right now. I don't want her to get too afraid when she wakes up. Where's Belle and Checky?"

"I think Belle is just wrapping up a training lesson for the other students and their pet panthers. Checky is helping with the new Attack Drill mecha and working on something huge codenamed 'SG-88'. Why?"

"I've found out some very important information that I wanted to pass along to you. Find them as soon as you can and tell them in a few days I want to have a meeting. I want to talk to the girl and try to get some more information." Deren nodded and left to find the others while Claudine stayed put and thought.

"_I get it now: Mithril Crystal is not only an excellent mana conductor, but also a superior substance to transport and store mana. That must be what the glass of the tanks are made of. But why would they put so many people in tanks of mana like that?_" Claudine thought as she headed back to her office, leaving Van with the girl.

* * *

Cygnus and Lillianne fussed around with clothes for what seemed like hours, but finally they managed to find something that made her look nothing like the empress that everyone knew and loved: A beige jacket over a white blouse with a red bowtie and skirt. Lillianne had taken out the medallion from the mass of golden hair on her head and braided it.

"There! Now you look just like any other woman in Herb Town." Cygnus admired herself in the mirror, turning this way and that, messing with her hair for a moment and then looking over her jacket.

"Are you sure this will work? I feel so conspicuous." She said, trying to find a way to make the skirt a bit longer.

"Just relax. We'll throw on some stockings and then we'll head out into town!" Lillianne said as she came out from behind a divider and took a pose. She had changed into a tan pencil skirt, with a black long sleeve shirt and yellow orange fitted jacket.

"Besides, if I were to let you loose on the town, you'd probably just stand in a corner. We're going to the center of town where everyone is going to be having a blast!" Cygnus was slightly confused as she pulled on her dark stockings.

"What exactly is going on there?" Lillianne chuckled as she thought about all the fun things that you could do there.

"Well it's kind of like a small carnival; there's treats and games, even an open dance floor."

"What exactly, is a carnival?" Lillianne stopped lacing up her boots and looked up at Cygnus.

"You mean to tell me that you've never been to a Carnival?" Cygnus shook her head as she slipped on her shoes and then looked at herself in the mirror again.

"Oh baby: Prepare to have the ultimate next few nights of your life!"

* * *

Deren, Belle and Checky filed into Claudine's office just as they had been asked to, closing the door and pulling down the shades.

"Alright, so what were you able to find out from the girl?" Claudine folded her hands as she took a breath and began.

"As you know The Mage has been draining the land using Mana Drills to extract mana and store it. Until recently we had no idea where those tanks were. The informant had said that the tanks were somewhere near the mines, but with nothing definite we had to try and send out scouts which turned up nothing. Van however, completely by accident, found where these tanks are."

"Well then what are we standing around here for? Let's go and get them!" Deren said, the top of his wand glowing brightly.

"Wait Deren, there's more. From what Van and Vita, the girl Van rescued, told me, all the Mithril Crystal is being used to make pipelines and tanks for mana. But another thing that puzzled me is what Vita had to do with those tanks. Apparently, she and her family tried to openly defy the Black Wings when they took over Edelstein. Officially it was said that they were executed as a public example for what would happen to anyone who tried to resist them. What really happened is they were stuffed into these tanks, which are really more like giant transformers for mana."

"Where are you going with this? So we know that these people are being put into tanks of mana when they defy the Black Wings. If that's the case we need to get to them now!" Belle shouted holding her hands wide as if to ask what they were waiting for.

"That's just it Belle; we can't just barge in, smash the glass and take them. The reason that they are being put into tanks of mana is because when mana is refined into its purest form, it will quickly become rancid without the presence of something alive. If that weren't bad enough, The Mage can't use the mana he's been pulling from the ground unless it's been stabilized. To do that, his head scientist by the name of Gelimer subjects the people to harsh torture until their mind breaks and leaves them in a vegetative state. Once that happens, the people are stripped down and inserted into the tanks so that the mana can seep into their skin, stabilize from coming in contact with the human life force, and then pulled back out. Once this process has begun, a person must be exposed to a constant flow of mana otherwise, they will die."

"And this all came from Vita?" Checky asked.

"Yes. Apparently she was on the verge of snapping when Van wandered into the facility. According to her though, it will only be a matter of time before nearly a fourth of the more than eight-thousand people there will break. Some however have already been broken and can never leave those mana tanks, so we need to make sure to get in there and keep the Black Wings guards away from the facility while someone uses their computer to find out who is still lucid and who is a lost cause."

"Alright. I'm nearly finished with the SG-88, and there are only minor calibration issues to deal with on the remaining mecha. I'll get on that and then start formulating and attack plan." Checky said, quickly leaving back to the garage.

"My students are coming along fine; however there are only about twenty who are actually ready for battle. I shall go and make sure that they are given an extra training session to prepare. I'll need about a day." Deren said as he picked up his wand and left.

"There are about thirteen students that are ready under me. I too need about a day to prepare and gather enough bolts for the crossbows and get saddles for the panthers." Claudine nodded as Belle left: in one day, the attack would begin.

* * *

Abi was exhausted: she had been staying up through the night for the past week trying to get her machine done. She still had control issues, so every couple of days she would have to scramble and reload her control matrix, not to mention that the engine she had salvaged from 1503 overheated really fast since the only thing she could do was cut off the back two cylinders from the engine and weld on a plate to make up the back of the motor. The hydraulic pump she salvaged from another drill mech was sketchy at best since she had to 'make' a new impeller, the legs looked like they were about to give out since the joint bearings hardly existed and the battery she was using was missing half the acid and spilled all the time. But after tonight, all of that wouldn't matter: she was going to be escaping tomorrow at lunch when most of the guards and the marshal would be out. The next morning started like it always did with a blast of a horn that reverberated throughout the mines. Abi dragged her body from the cot, pulled on her greasy shirt and pulled on the blackened overalls as she made her way to the mess hall where everyone was gathering to begin their dirt work once again. Abi quickly ate and tried to seem calm as she went back to the garage to open it up just as truck 1284 came stumbling into the garage: the tracks were missing half their feet and were barely able to keep it rolling.

"Hey Clark. What wrong with the ole girl?" Abi asked, patting the side of the truck.

"I think it's a bit low on coolant; it's constantly stumbling and just smells hot." Abi nodded as she went back to the garage and grabbed the hose marked 'coolant', pulling it over to the truck telling the driver to shut it off. She grabbed the hood handle, able to feel the heat thought her thick leather glove and pulled it open. She quickly shoved the end of the hose into the 'coolant injection' marked hole, then ran back to the garage to begin the flow. Out of curiosity she thought she'd check that engine over, just to be sure that nothing else was wrong. However as she leaned down to check, she caught a glimpse of what was in the bed of the truck: explosives. Those would come in quite handy for her escape, but she couldn't just reach in and take a box; everyone would see her. Quickly she looked around and then reached for a fuel injector. With one hard shove, the injector sheared off and began leaking gas onto the ground. However since the gas wouldn't ignite unless it passed through an atomizer at the end of the injector, there was nothing to worry about.

"Uh, Clark? I think this thing's had it."

"Why, what's wrong?" the driver asked as he leaned out the window to look back where he saw Abi holding the broken injector.

"That doesn't look good." Abi shook her head.

"It's not. I'll need to keep it here until I can get it repaired." Abi called.

"How long will that take?" Abi laughed to herself: it was an easy enough repair. Just wait for the engine to cool a bit, then take a pair of pliers, unscrew the atomizer and solder it back on. It would only take 10 minutes at the most, but Abi had other ideas.

"I can have it done by lunch."

"Well that might be too late. Apparently they're moving lunch up by an hour since there's supposed to be an inspection. These explosives are needed down at the face before then." Abi tried to contain herself as the news hit her, but calmly nodded.

"_An inspection!? Great! That means that there's gonna be three times the amount of guards here, not to mention that the Marshal's gonna be here all day! Crap crap crap!_" but Abi didn't let it detour her. She was escaping today and that was all there was to it.

"I'll try and have it done ASAP." She called as the driver got out and walked away. In the mean time she returned to her other repair duties, waiting for her chance to take out a crate of explosives: they would help alot to her plan. Slowly the hours passed until lunch was nearly there and the people around the garage were scarce. Quickly she ran to the truck and began trying to haul a box of explosives out of the bed, when she felt a strong hand clamp down on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" the voice asked. Abi turned around to see a Black Wings officer, staring coldly at her from the one eye that wasn't covered by blond hair from under his hat. Abi wasn't sure what to say until she slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me. I'm no longer going to follow you, or do anything that you! I want out!" The man slammed his hand on the tailgate of the truck right beside her head as he leaned down and stared her in the eyes. Abi flinched as the man then leaned closer and whispered into her ear.

"Don't say that so loud. Behind me there are six guards. Don't look at them, just pretend that you enjoy what I'm doing." Abi hated even being near one of these scum, but she forced herself to put her arms around him and tilt her head as though the man was kissing the side of her neck while he put his hand on the side of her waist as he continued.

"Reaching for explosives out of this truck is going to back fire on you since the box is a bit heavy and will just hit the ground. Instead, go the side of your garage, and there you will find a mini-gun and a box of ammunition for it. I'll be able to keep the guards busy for the next hour, maybe less, but do what you're going to do within that time. I know your frustration at the Black Wings. My girlfriend is being held hostage by them to make sure that the mayor does as he's told since she is his daughter." The man said, before backing away and walking towards the mess hall where the soldiers were gathering. Abi didn't question what she was told and quickly ran to the side of the Garage where she found the Mini-gun with a turret and the box of ammo. As quietly and quickly as she could, she took them, mounted the Mini-gun on the side of her mech, fed a belt of bullets into the gun and began trying to start the mech. Her hands were shaking so much that she could barely stick the key into the ignition, but she managed to do it, using both hands and turned the key. The engine turned over once, twice, three times, each time getting progressively slower until all that could be heard was the clicking of the starter motor. She let go of the key and tried again, but the same thing happened.

"_No no no no! Not now!_" her mind screamed. Quickly she jumped out of the pilot's seat and opened the engine cover, turning on a flashlight and trying to wiggle around wires that led to the starter and battery. Once she had, she tried the key again, only this time the motor turned over four times before going dead once again. Abi hopped down and took off the battery cables, brushed off the corrosion, stuck them back on and tried again. But again the engine wouldn't turn over. Abi slammed her fists down on the control board so hard that the noise caught the attention of a guard walking back from the mess hall.

"Who's there?" Abi didn't want to answer, because if she did the man would come in and it would all be over.

"Is someone there?" the man asked again, putting his hand on the gun hanging from his belt. Abi took a breath and closed her eyes tight.

"_Please, work._" She thought as she turned the key. The engine turned over once and then roared to life as the control board lit up. Abi looked around for a moment and then pushed the control sticks forwards, making her makeshift mech charge through the shelves of parts and out into the mine before stomping down the main shaft. Before she had gotten far, she heard a sharp whistle being blown and then the sound of gunfire behind her, bullets pinging off the metal of her mech. Soon though, she could hear an army of boots running towards her making her stop since her path was blocked off while the marshal and the corporal stepped out from an adjoining tunnel.

"Well well little miss Abi, I am impressed. But just where do you think you're going?" the Marshal aske with a smirk. Abi could feel the motor getting hot under her feet and reached for the mini-gun.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" She shouted and jammed down on the buttons, making the gun explode in a droning hell storm of bullets and fire.

* * *

For Cygnus, the experiences in the middle of town were all new and exciting since she had never been to one of these celebrations held by the people of Ossyria. Many times she would be approached by different men as they wandered the square, but each of them made her feel uncomfortable or too rehearsed, and she ended up just walking away. Lillianne was going crazy, trying to get her to loosen up not be so formal, giving her advice to catch someone's eye. But it seemed that no matter what she did, Cygnus would always get nervous or just wasn't interested. The front of Lillianne's forehead was beginning to hurt from the thousands of times she smacked her forehead in disbelief when Cygnus would turn down _another _guy.

"At this rate, you'll be alone for the rest of your life." Lillianne laughed as they sat drinking a hot cup of cider.

"Didn't you tell me that my heart was min to give?" Lillianne rolled her eyes.

"That's not the point! You won't even let them talk to you long enough to find out whether or not their worth getting to know."

"It's the look in their eyes: none of them seem sincere and all of them are just looking to temporarily fill the void." Cygnus sighed. Lillianne nodded her head: there were a lot of guys like that and none of those guys would be worthy of her.

"Just a reminder ladies and gentlemen that tonight there will be a Masquerade! So bring your masques and be ready to have a great time!" an announcer called. Lillianne suddenly had an idea.

"Hey! You could go to that! That would surely be able to at least let you talk to someone." Cygnus smiled but inwardly she doubted it. All the same Lillianne grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to the masque station where Lillianne bought a masque for her and then dragged her back to the house where she rummaged through Cygnus's clothes until she found a rather elegant violet ball gown for her to wear. Within a couple hours, the two of them were back just as the masquerade was getting underway.

"Now remember, you just need to act like yourself, but lose the formalities and 'proper' speaking. If you do that you'll be fine." Lillianne smiled, before putting on her mask and disappearing into the crowd. Cygnus sighed heavily, pulled on her mask, and tried mingling with some of the other people there, acting like some of the people she saw around her so that she wouldn't stand out so much. All the same though, she felt that she was making more of a spectacle of herself trying to act casual, rather than just reverting to what she always knew. It had only been ten minutes, but it felt like it had been hours: Cygnus was just about to give up when a moderately tall gentleman walked up to her.

"Would you care for a glass of cider miss?" he asked, holding a mug out to her. Cygnus tried to look him in the eye, but the eye slots of his masque were covered by a thin fabric so that only he could see out.

"Yes why thank you." she said in reply.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked. Something about this man made her feel so much more comfortable than the others and conversation with him came easily, despite not being able to see his eyes. Before she knew it, she was even laughing hard enough that she had to wipe away tears sometimes.

"Would you care you go somewhere quieter to talk?" the man asked, offering his arm which Cygnus took and allowed herself to be led away while Lillianne watched as she walked away with the man. She was about to walk away herself when someone put a hand on her shoulder.

"A gift my lady?" a voice asked, as a man just a little taller than herself walked around in front of her, holding a small present out to her. Even with his masque on, she could still tell that it was Matthew and threw her arms around him. Meanwhile Cygnus walked with the man to a balcony overlooking the party, sighing contently.

"So who was it that was able to get you to be so lighthearted, Empress Cygnus?" Cygnus was startled as she turned and looked at the man.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked, taking off her masque.

"You stood out too much. Trying to seem like anybody other than yourself really isn't your style." He said as Mihile took off his own Masque.

"Mihile? That was you the whole time?" Mihile nodded and leaned against the railing.

"It's nice to see this side of you." he said, looking out over the party below. Cygnus looked to Mihile and just studied him for a moment: she had never seen him without his armor. She had known him as a knight ever since she was crowned empress at 10 when he became the first page of the five knights, and had always trusted him more than the others. Now that she had seen him out of his armor and away from the pomp of the palace, she actually liked him even better. Mihile suddenly felt something wrap around his arm and looked down to see Cygnus leaning against his arm.

"Empress?"

"Just let me stay like this for a while." She said, closing her eyes and sighing contently. Mihile smiled and patted her hands while they watched the ball below.

* * *

"This is Mike Alpha one, checking in with Overwatch. Alpha platoon in position." Checky said, cueing his mic.

"Overwatch this is Bravo Mike Alpha, in position." Deren said.

"Overwatch this is Whiskey Hotel Alpha, ten seconds out." Belle said over the radio.

"Platoon Alphas actual, be advised there is a small army of black ants headed your way, repeat, black ants are closing on your position." Ace radioed as he hovered above them all in his aircraft.

"Roger that Overwatch, I have them on my radar. Alpha squad, on me. Delta squad; make sure you have your drills spun up. How's the track squad?"

"Track squad leader here, 30 seconds out."

"Bravo Mike Alpha here. We're going in." Deren said as he led his group of attack mages into the crag where Van said he found the facility.

"Good hunting, Bravo Mike." Belle said as she and her students finally got into position.

"Whiskey Hotel Alpha here, come in Mike Alpha."

"Mike Alpha here, go ahead."

"The black ants are splitting up, a group of, count 50 plus heading further north."

"Overwatch can you confirm?"

"Affirmative Mike Alpha: 50 plus black ants heading north."

"Alright, Delta team, head out, keep 'em busy." A mech with drills for hand saluted and then began running off in the direction of the group as 6 others followed it. Checky turned around and held his hand over the cockpit as he saw the Track Squad coming in.

"Overlord this Mike Alpha, proceeding with phase one."

"_Overlord here: good, we should be able to get in and out quietly with…_"

"NEW CONTACTS 5 O'CLOCK!" said another mech pilot. Every mech turned around to see Black Wings soldiers running from one of the mine's mouths, then turning around and firing into it. From inside the mine, everyone could hear a loud droning as dust was thrown into the air while the soldiers dove to the ground.

"Ready up!" Checky called holding his arms straight out to the mine while the three barreled machine guns rose from their arms and spun up. Everyone stood at the ready, waiting for whatever it was that might come: if it was enough to make the Black Wing's soldiers run, then it must be bad. From inside the mine, a slow whine of actuators and low rumbles came from the mouth. What came from the shadows was a mech that looked like it was about to fall apart: pieces of metal hanging from their rivets and wires coupled with junctions hanging from the open panels.

"Stand down. It's a…" suddenly the hills came alive as soldiers burst from under blankets that hid them, each of them holding automatic weapons and beginning to open fire on the girl.

"Bravo Mike, get outta there. Plans have changed: we've got a mech pilot here that looks like she just fought through hell to get out from the mines but we're surrounded by Black Ants and caught in a hail storm. Whisky, where's the other group?" Checky asked as he and five other mechs ran for the girl, when one of her leg joints broke and began to tilt to the right as she began to pass out. Just before she hit the ground, one of the other mechs reached out and caught her, opening his hatch and placing the girl inside: her face was covered in grease, dirt and blood as her arm revealed a large gash. Checky held up his arms and opened fire on the approaching soldiers, as the Mages and Hunters descended the hills to begin their own attack

"Whiskey Hotel here. The first group is closing in on your position but the smaller group has stopped their advance."

"DELTA! WE NEED YOU BACK HERE NOW!"

"Delta on the way." Checky and Keran, his student, opened the hatch for the flame thrower and blasted the area with liquid flames. Checky then clamped his fists as his forearms opened and then melded together, first lifting his arms behind him while a giant jet engine formed where his hands were, then forced it down hard on the ground, shaking the entire area. One of the other mechs activated his targeting system: a small holographic screen with three targeting recitals zeroing in on each other and then turning red. The pilot clamped his fist as fire blasted from the wrist, shooting the first of the mech forward, slamming into the ground and taking out a large number of the soldiers, then being retracted by the cable that was attached to the back.

Deren and his students could be seen casting strong spells, using their wands almost like sledge hammers as they swung through soldier after soldier while an aura gathered at their feet, making their attacks even stronger. Belle and her students thundered down the hill, firing off high powered bolts like machine guns. Belle then reached for the small spheres she had been storing mana in for a long time and pressed the button on each of them, tossing them into the air as mechanical parts formed and clanked together to make a hovering turret, firing arrows into the ground where they exploded. Checky cued his mic.

"Jay, I need the heavy, the ammo is getting low! Get it to me now."

"Heavy inbound, 45 seconds." Checky turned around and watched as the Drill squad landed just in front of him and then shot forwards, slamming through the wave of men, then turning and doing the same thing again. Suddenly the metal on one of the mechs began to ring as hailstorms of bullets hit the outside. The mech holding the girl aimed his hand at the group and opened fire, tearing through the soldiers as though it were a knife.

"ALL MECHS! READY SEIGE MODE!" Checky screamed as parts of six mechs began to open or rearrange when a giant six barrel chain gun flipped out from its chest and began spinning up.

"FIRE!" Every mech, squatted down and then erupted into a wall of flames as each of their main guns and arm cannons fired simultaneously while they all slowly turned. But just as soon as it had begun, it ended with the sickening sound of hammers hitting empty chambers.

"Track unit! Take aim and fire! Mages and hunters, get outta there! Heavy fire incoming!"

"Roger that, Track Unit beginning strife run." At the top of a far off hill could be heard the faint sound of cannon fire when the ground suddenly exploded. Checky and the gun mechs did the best they could to protect the girl hiding within the mech behind Checky, but the soldiers just kept coming. Soon low level Black Wings mages began appearing amongst the soldiers that charged them.

"KNUCKLE UP!" Checky yelled as he held his arm up and activated his targeting system at a mage. Once it locked on, his mech's fist shot from its wrist straight at the mage, but was deflected to the side. Bret took aim at another mage, but the same thing happened, as it did with Jeremy, Jane, Karen and Silvia. Checky turned slightly as he retracted one fist and fired the other, but the same thing happened.

"Alright, let's see how you like a hammer!" Checky growled as his mech's arms and fists melded together again to create a jet powered hammer behind him. For extra hurt, Checky jumped into the air as rocket boosters on his back propelled him further up. As he fell he started the jet engine and just before he hit the ground swung down, making the ground collapse under him, but missing the mage who held his hand up and hit Checky with a powerful spell, making his ten foot mech fly back.

"Captain Checky!" called Jane as she fired her fists over and over again.

"I'm alright. Jay! Where's my Heavy!?"

"I thought you forgot about me. Look out below!" Checky looked up as a gargantuan crate looking thing fell from the aircraft carrying it.

"It's about time!" Checky said as he ran over to the end of the crate and pulled down a massive lever. He then turned around as a giant clamp reached out and grabbed his mech's waist, pulling him back as another clamp of what appeared to be cables plugged into the front and sides. He then reached his mech arms up and pulled two braces similar to the ones in his cockpit as another set of clamps closed around the legs of the mech. Each of the mages and soldiers suddenly stopped and watched as the crate seemed to unfold into its unpackaged form. First, the sides of the crate slid forward as huge arms rotated down and pushed the crate up onto its end while Checky and his mech slid down into the bottom of the crate. From inside the crate, four giant legs slid out and then unfolded, picking its weight off the ground on four huge wheels, while giant shoulder guards slid into place.

"We'll boys, I say now is a good a time as any to test out the Exo-suit SG-88!" he yelled over the external com as he held out his arm while the giant mecha suit was still in its final transformation stages. The arm split and a cannon rose from the forearm. A clip of cannon shells rotated up from beside the cannon then locked into place on top. With an earth shaking roar, the cannon fired again and again, obliterating the soldiers and mages that were once there while spitting out the spent shells like a hand gun. The radar in his mech flashed red, showing little red dots standing behind him. The giant mech moved quite well for it immense size, turning around quickly as doors on it shoulders opened to reveal hundreds of missiles.

Checky smirked as the missiles launched from their pods like popcorn and slammed into the mountain where the small platoon had been a moment before. For a moment complete silence descended onto the area, and then erupted into cheers and cries when their realization that they had won hit them.

"Alright, head back to base." Checky called. The girl suddenly stirred in the mech pilots arm as he walked back.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"The name's Briggs. What's yours little one?"

"Abi, with an "I"."

"Well Abi with an "I", your safe now. You're with the resistance." Abi smiled, relieved, and fell back asleep in the mech pilot's arm: she had resisted, and won!

* * *

It was two days before Vita was able to walk, but when she was, she was greeted warmly by every single person in the garage, and soon became known as the Resistance's 'Miracle Girl' since it was unclear whether or not she would have survived.

"So Vita, what's it like to be able to walk about on your own power again?" Brighton asked, the lead medical technician. Vita thought for a moment and looked to Van, and smiled.

"Well, I say that it's…"

* * *

Not too long after the Masquerade party was over, Lillianne drug Matthew with her to go find the Empress, sporting her new Emerald pendant. They were soon joined by the other four, Helen showing off her new Amethyst ring, jacket and gloves and Jenny showing off her new ruby bracelet. As they oo'd and Ah'd over each other's gifts, Cygnus came walking down the path with Mihile at her side, when Lillianne saw her.

"So, how did you like just being Cygnus and not the Empress for a few days?" Cygnus smiled brightly and hugged Lillianne.

"It is by far…"

* * *

Abi woke with a start, but found herself in a cot with her arm wound bandaged and dressed in clean clothes. A burly man came over to her and touched her forehead as a pale skinned girl walked up to her, holding out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Vita."

"Abi. Where am I?"

"Right in the heart of the Resistance's base: That was some feat you pulled off, battling your way through those soldiers with that rag tag mech of yours." Checky called as he walked through the door.

"I know. It was all I could get though since I couldn't seem to get any new parts in the mines. But that's all behind me! Now I can turn around and fight for the people of Edelstein by helping you guys." Deren smiled as he leaned against the medical room's door.

"So how does it feel to make up your mind and not be controlled by the Black Wings anymore?" Deren asked.

"Oh that's easy… it's the greatest gift of all!"


	4. Chapter 3: Time is of the Essence!

Chapter 3: Time is of the Essence!

Andy had managed to make a life for himself in this time where everything was so primitive, at least compared to the computers and weapons he had grown up with. However the day to day grind was beginning to wear on him, becoming tired of living in this era where everything had to be done with your hands. Time and time again he had gone into the forests of Leafre searching for his stopwatch so that he could return to his time period of 2041. But time and time again he would have to return back to Magatia where he had managed to eke out a living, learning alchemy and helping the local smiths in making clothes and armor for the by-passers.

Relations between the Alcadnos and Zenumists were still tense, but they seemed to come to an agreement, slowly patching up their differences. The alchemy that he learned was in hopes that he could find a way to recreate the Time Traveler's badge since he couldn't find his; this was proving difficult since he had neither plans nor the original as a template. Andy was at the end of his rope when a thought struck him: what if he were to call on the Guardians of Ossyria? He could ask them to retrieve his watch and make copies, then take them to the future as a 'thank you' since doing so wouldn't cause any harm. He would need to get back to the Tera Forest and the Time Portal; since everyone here was suspicions of him, it might cause the reaction that he was hoping for!

Quickly he ran to his room and got out the clothes he had worn when he had come here ten years ago, threw on his cloak, and left. He tired to seem as suspicious as possible in hopes that someone would notice as he left for the desert town of Ariant. His plan was perfect! It was just a quick flight back to Orbis, then another quick flight using the connections he had there to get a flight into Leafre where he would be able to get to the Tera Forest, the Time Portal, and then back home! Unbeknownst to him, someone _had_ noticed his suspicious behavior: Han. Han thought the person looked very much like a Black Wings spy, but the color of his cloak was off. Maybe it was something that the Guardians should look into.

* * *

Olsen could be heard dashing through the air like a strong wind, zipping through the trees as though they were part of the ground while watching his target, Auzzy. Olsen stopped behind a tree, watching him sitting still as he could and calming his breathing until it was hardly audible. Auzzy could be seen pursing his eyebrows as he turned his head to hear better, holding two fingers up just in front of his face in concentration. In blur of motion he swung his arm down, then turned around and hurled two kunai for the tree Olsen was hiding behind, pricing right through the thick trunk but hitting nothing. Auzzy cursed himself and began concentrating again, listening for any sign of Olsen.

A noise from behind him made him draw his prized Bazlud dagger and deflect the few coins that were covered in blood, only to have them explode and toss him around like a toy. Olsen suddenly stood just outside of the cloud, spreading the handful of stars he had pulled from his claw like cards in his fingers. However as the smoke cleared it revealed a log statue with the pieces of coin stuck in it instead of Auzzy, blowing away in a cloud of mana.

"_He's getting better. But…_" From his left a falling leaf was suddenly displaced: Olsen held his left arm up, clocking Auzzy in the face as the green ghost of disorder sank into Auzzy's invisible body.

"Aw! Man, why'd you have to hit so hard?" Auzzy asked, rubbing his cheek as he dropped his Dark Sight, revealing that small blood vessels that had broken under his skin on his cheek. Olsen laughed and just shook his head.

"Auzzy, there will come a time where you are going to get hit. Yes we ninja are adept at _not_ getting hit, but even the best of us, even my father Jin the Dark Lord, can make a mistake and get hit. In trying to anticipate your enemy's moves you are able to lower your chances of getting hit. However you need to stay unpredictable: you've come at me from the left every time that you've used the replacement; it's becoming too predictable." Auzzy nodded, still rubbing his cheek as it began to swell.

"Come on, We'll go visit Helen and have her heal that for you. She should be just wrapping up her meditations for the day." Olsen offered, helping Auzzy to his feet and walking towards the training grounds Helen used.

* * *

Helen could be seen hovering in mid air in the center of the library that Grendal had managed to set up in Herb Town. Her hair seemed to blow in a slow invisible breeze as she held her arms slightly away from her with her eyes closed. The only part of her moving was her lips as she recited a very powerful spell. For weeks she had been trying to learn the spell on her own called 'Genesis Light', even though Grendal said that she would learn it from Gritto, The High Elder when it came time for the next leg of her training. With the pressing matter that they were really being used to The Mage's advantage, she wanted to become as powerful as she could, as soon as she could.

However it took all her concentration and mana just to try and initiate the spell, let alone empower and form it. Just as her mana was about to run dry, she breathed slowly and descended to the floor once again, reading over the spell for the umpteenth time just to be sure that she was trying to perform it correctly until there was a knock at the door. With her ever increasing knowledge of spells, her demeanor had changed drastically: her speech and the way she moved had become more elegant, but still retained the reserved and thoughtful personality she was always known for.

"Yes? Oh, Auzzy you poor soul; what in Ossyria happened to your face?"

"I was trying to get the drop on Olsen here and he clocked me a good one." Auzzy laughed nervously, even though his cheek was now the size of an orange. He was trying to hide the fact that he had a bit of a crush on Helen ever since he had first met her. Helen tilted her head down as she looked to Olsen with questioning eyes as if to ask 'really?'

"Hey, it's his fault for always using the same tactics all the time." Helen nodded as she held her hand over the wound, a healing green light glowing under her palm.

"That is true Auzzy. Using the same tactics all of the time will work against you. You must ensure to never use the same action twice, if it can be helped." She said while holding her hand over his cheek, healing it within moments. When she was done with healing Auzzy's cheek, she went back to her spell book once again, trying to figure out where it was that she was going wrong when Kyrin came bursting through the door.

"Hey, there you are! I've been looking for you two. There's been a message from Han in Magatia, saying that he wanted to talk to you guys about someone that he had seen."

"Did he happen to say who it was?" Olsen asked, checking his supply of stars and checking to make sure that he had his dagger.

"No he didn't. He just said that it was something that ought to be looked into."

"Awsome! A mission! Can I come Master Olsen?" Auzzy asked with high hopes.

"For now, but if it turns into something that you can't handle, you're going to have to come back here, understand?" Auzzy nodded excitedly.

"The others too?" Auzzy asked, looking as though he were ready to bolt out the door and tell the others. Olsen looked to Helen as she closed her book and then magically reached for her pouch of potent poison.

"We must speak with Matthew and the others." Helen replied. Within an hour, 'The Six', Auzzy, Nathan, Aeris, and Antonia were sailing the skies bound for Magatia.

"It doesn't seem like that long ago we were there does it Matt?" Lillianne asked, walking up to him as he leaned on the portside railing.

"It wasn't actually. I wonder how Romeao and Julianette are doing." Matthew wondered, looking off into the clouds as Lillianne set her gauntlet on his back. On deck Olsen could be seen practicing his stances, periodically running forward and disappearing in a blur, suddenly reappearing facing the opposite direction while sheathing his dagger. The trip only lasted for 30 minutes, but everyone tried to keep themselves occupied as the mystery of their assignment built, as did the adrenaline in their body until they descended into the center of Magatia. As they slid down the ropes, they were warmly greeted by the citizens of Magatia, thanking them for once and for all bringing the city together. Once they were through the throng they quickly found Han where they had found him near the city's center.

"Han! Han, over here!" Jenny called, jumping above the crowd so that Han would see her while they waded through the many people swarming the streets, going here and there for their different commerce and visiting different shops.

"My my, it feels like ages since I last saw you. Thanks to you, business within Magatia is booming once again. Thank you for coming by the way." Han smiled, shaking the hands of The Guardians that he didn't meet the first time they had come.

"Speaking of which, why was it that you wanted us to come here?" Lillianne asked. Han pointed a finger into the air in understanding banter.

"Ah yes. Just a couple days ago there was a strange man that came through here, heading back for Ariant. I know I probably should have sent you there first since that's where he was going, but I wanted to see you again at the same time." Han smiled again. Helen thought for a moment, suddenly remembering a series of quests that had been done that involved a mysterious man leaving Magatia and heading for Ariant.

"The person he is referring to is Andy. Do you remember him my friends?" Matthew raised an eyebrow, looking at Helen strangely: it would still take a while before he was used to the way Helen spoke nowadays.

"Yes, Actually I do. Wasn't he the Time traveler in the Tera Forest of Leafre?" Matthew asked.

"If that's the case then that saves us time! We'll know exactly where to go!" Jack called, turning back towards the _Queen's Wing _with Aeris close behind him, but stopped when she saw that Nathan and the others weren't joining them.

"Master Jack! Wait!" Aeris called as she walked back to the others.

"What wrong? We know exactly where this Andy guy is, so why aren't we going to find him?" Jack asked.

"It's where we have to go that's the problem. The Tera Forest is located not too far outside of Leafre, and if I remember right there are some really big, tough beetles there; hard for even us at this point in time." Matthew said with a tone of concern. Their apprentice's heads just hung disappointedly since they all knew what that meant: they'd be stuck back in Herb Town running Guard Duty with the Masters until they returned.

"Look, I know you guys are tired of getting stuck in Herb Town all the time, but our missions are a lot more then you can handle right now." Nathan looked up at Matthew, and just stared at him from under his eyebrows.

"You're sorry? You're _SORRY?! _All four of us are nearly ready to see the same advance masters that you went to, and you say that we aren't ready?!" Jenny rocked her head slightly and then looked at Antonia who appeared as though she had the same words springing from her eyes. Jenny then looked down at Alden, almost fully grown, who looked back at her and almost shrugged his shoulders.

"Matthew, Lilli, a moment please." Jenny called, walking a bit away from the group and motioning for them to follow.

"Look, we can't keep protecting them forever. We might as well take them with us. Besides, they could be of some help: Nathan and Aeris have both proven time and time again that they can take care of themselves, as have Auzzy and Antonia. Why not take them with us just for the experience. Wow, I did not mean to make a game reference there, but you get what I mean don't you?" Matthew sighed heavily and looked back at Nathan: he sure had come a long way from the kid he had found in the Pendergeist mansion, but there was also the fact that Matthew was many times more powerful when he was at his skill level.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." He mused, taking off his Silver Grace helm and holding it under his arm while going back to the group.

"Alright, you can come, however: You must remain on your toes at all times, and I mean a lot more than you're used to. Understood?" The four of them nodded, and followed them back to the ship where Shanks was waiting somewhat impatiently.

"Thanks Han!" called Olsen, turning and waving from his rope hold as they ascended into the skies.

"So where are we going you guys?" Shanks called, spinning up the turbines and cooling the levistones to make the ship rise.

"Leafre, after that you can go wherever; we probably won't be back for a while." Jack called. Shanks nodded and spun the wheel, pointing the bow east as the engines pushed the heavy ship into motion.

* * *

In the shadows of a dark alley, Dragon and Eleanor listened to every word that they had said, knowing where it was that they were headed.

"This might not turn out well for us Eleanor." Dragon said quietly. Eleanor nodded in response.

"You're right. This could lead to Oberon turning against us. It might be risky, but The Mage must be consulted." In a plume of black smoke, the two of them were gone, reappearing in the Mage's chamber, whispers hanging in the air for a moment as they knelt to the ground.

"Master, we bring news of The Guardian's doings and of a possible loss of a follower." Dragon said. The Mage tilted his head in interest and ooked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes: he already knew what was possibly going to happen and was well prepared, but he decided that he would humor them.

"We have just returned from Magatia where the Guardians had been called: they are being sent after Andy, the time traveler who made Oberon's rule possible." Dragon replied. The Mage nodded his head and walked to the window overlooking Edelstein, watching the small green dots of the Memory Guard patrolling the streets while questioning whispers filled the air.

"The one whom I believe will abandon us I fear is Oberon after finding out who is really her father, and may turn against us. She is very powerful master; possibly even powerful enough to defeat you." Eleanor said, swallowing hard when she realized that the last comment was possibly not in her best interest. The Mage put his hands behind his back, pulling them tight to crack his back while The Mage sighed.

"Forgive me master, I had no intention of…" Fear gripped her being as a wave of power washed over her, making her porcelain skin turn snow white.

"Yes?" The mage held up his hand, showing an image of when he first gave Oberon a portion of his power.

"I am aware that you gave her your power, and that you can take it back any time you please. It was simply a slip of my tounge." Eleanor pleaded as The Mage spoke in a low whisper, standing stiffly for a few tense moments until he turned and walked silently back to his chair, thrumming his fingers on the arm. Dragon and Eleanor quickly stood and walked out of his chamber after being dismissed. The Mage lifted his eyes, looking at a fine portrait an artist among his disciples had painted of Oberon as a gift to him hanging on the wall beside his door: what would she do when she leaned the truth of her bloodline? The thought danced happily in The Mage's mind, even if he already knew what was to happen in the hours to come.

* * *

An hour later, the _Queen's Wing_ was hovering above Leafre, retro jets keeping the ship stationary as they all slid down ropes.

"Thank you Shanks. We will send word when we have finished." Helen called, Shanks taking his hat off and bowing slightly as Helen floated down to the ground with the others. After Shanks had gone, Matthew pulled a map from his knapsack, leading them through the town where they greeted the Hafrings that tended to different dragon's eggs. As they walked, their apprentices began to notice large beetles mulling about around them grazing like cattle.

"Here it is! The marker for the entrance to the Tera Forest." Jenny called, pushing a large branch out of the way to reveal a small statue of stones at the top of a hill. It stood no taller than 3 feet with a ring of stones standing on the top of a pillar. In the center of the ring was a spherical stone with aqua energy swirling from around it, keeping it suspended in the air.

"Wait: If this is the marker, where's the forest? Is it just like another section of trees or something?" Aeris asked, looking at the vast expanse of greenery. Matthew pulled the map back out, unrolling it and looking at it blankly.

"I don't get it. The Tera Forest should be right here." He sighed, putting his arms down when Anotina noticed something on the map.

"Matt, do that again!" she called, running over to him and watching more carefully. Matthew picked up his arms, and then let them drop again.

"There! On the map! Just hold it up and look at it flat." Matthew raised an eyebrow as he held up the map again, this time rotating it so that the map was flat with the ground. What he saw was a faint image appearing from the pictures of trees on the map depicting the Tera Forest right behind the small statue.

"Antonia you're a genius!" Jack called, looking at the map again with his eyes at paper level, reading the elongated letters across the paper hidden in the 'trees'.

"The door to the Forest is through the aqua stone statue." He read. He thought about it for a moment and then walked over to the statue and looked at it, intrigued.

"_What if…_" he thought, reaching out to the spiracle stone, wrapping his hand around it and tried to turn it; it didn't budge, even when he tried to put more effort into it. However he did notice that the stone moved back and forth, so he pulled it out while something like a curtain opened in mid air before them, revealing a massive tree with small specks of light falling from its branches. Quickly the group walked through the opening which then closed behind them to reveal another stone statue, but with orange energy emanating from it. The group could only turn around and around, looking at the serene sight all around them. The tree was so massive that as they neared, it was soon apparent that the trunk was miles in circumference. A Steam Punk inspired machine sat beside the tree, looking similar to a stocky grandfather clock. The trees and brush around them rustled suddenly, making them all draw their weapons and stand at the ready when a man pushed his way through the bushes, brushing off his cloak and then noticing them with their weapons drawn and aimed at him.

"Ah! Guardians! Thank you for coming! If you haven't already guessed; I am Andy." He said, taking a small bow and then removing the hood from his head to reveal his light hair. The group re-holstered and sheathed their weapons as Nathan stepped forwards and knelt with the other three apprentices coming with him.

'We are The Guardian's Apprentices." He introduced, Andy nodding to him before Lillianne stepped forward and crossed her arms.

"So what exactly did you need us for?" she asked.

"I called on you because I have lost my Time Traveler's badge. It's a stop watch that I think the beetles around here have by accident. I am asking if you would retrieve it for me so that I can return to my own time. In return for getting it back, I'll make copies of it to take you into the future and show you what it is that you will bring forth once you defeat The Black Mage." Helen was a bit skeptical, but admitted that traveling forwards in time to see the future they would create was rather enticing. The Six told their students to stay with Andy while they went back to the Leafre Forest and searched for the watch. Once they were gone, the four of them turned to Andy and began asking questions.

"What it like in the future?"

"Do we defeat the Black Mage once and for all?"

"Do we all fly around with jet pack as flying cars?"

"Are there androids that are human?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, Hold on there: You'll be able to see soon enough once I make your Time Badges."

"So what's so special about this watch of yours?" Antonia asked.

"The watch is actually a very old relic, even in this time period. It was found during an expedition into Masteria where the Machinist was keeping The Time Traveler's stopwatch. It allows one to travel to the Center of Time and then travel to different time periods freely, without having to pay the 'toll'."

"What toll? Like money or something?" Aeris asked, digging into her pocket and pulling out a few coins.

"No no no, this toll can only be paid with something that isn't on the material plane. What it refers to is like a memory, or years of your life. Depending on the person, it can be different."

"So what's this 'center of time' place? It sounds ominous if you ask me."Antonia chimed, leaning against one of the giant roots of the tree.

"The Center of Time is just that. In that place is where you will find a creature by the name of Nexus. Yes, here in Ossyria, Ludibrum may be the center of time, but Nexus is at the center of ALL time from every dimension. He is the one who decides what it is that will serve as a person's toll when they come to him without the watch." The Four of them nodded deep in thought when Auzzy looked up at the huge tree before them.

"That is one massive tree. I've never seen anything like it." He said, leaning back further and further until he simply fell on his back.

"That's because not many know what it is or of its existence until they come here." Andy said with a mysterious voice.

"What is it?" The four of them asked in unplanned unison.

"This is the center for all life with in Ossyria: The World Maple Tree. Without this, life in Ossyria wouldn't be possible. Yes Minerva was the one who started life, but it was this that she had to create first. As life in Ossyria took root, the tree would grow to meet the demand of the people living in it since it is a direct line into the Life Stream itself. Such a power couldn't be left unattended and open to the public, because tampering with the tree could make life very difficult or stop life altogether. So Minverva and Corus made a dimension where the tree could feed Ossyria, but also be protected from it and any ill-intention. The statue you pulled on was the doorknob, and anyone who has ill will won't be able to open the doorway." Nathan was about to ask another question when the doorway from the Leafre Forest opened and the others walked back in, with the addition of Aufheben who happened by the others as she was flying around, taking some time off. Andy quickly got to work making the other 11 watches for the rest of them from some metal ingots he brought with him, then passed them out to each of them, trying not to look Aufheben in the eyes since no doubt she might have some questions for him. Aufheben accepted the watch, but when she looked up to thank him, she did her best to contain the sudden rage she felt towards him deciding that it was better to confront him in private.

"Alright, that should do it. Here's what's going to happen; I'm going to go through the Time Portal first, after that each of you may follow with a one second interval between you." Once he was finished, he walked to the steam punk clock, beginning to pull levers and twist knobs until the entire face of the clock hissed with steam and opened to reveal a swirling blue energy of time itself. As he said, Andy went through first, followed by Aufheben and then the rest of the group, making sure to wait a couple seconds before entering the swirling energy.

"Where have we come?" Helen asked, looking around at the grey and drab stones around them that created smooth archways leading into oblivion.

"Nexus! Are you there?" Andy called.

"What do you want?" came the reply as heavy footsteps could be heard coming towards them, while a huge blue grey beast walked into the light.

"Andy, my friend. It's been some time since you came here. And who are these young fellows with you?" Nexus asked, looking at the small crowd of people around Andy.

"These people helped me retrieve my stopwatch. I lost it when running from some huge beetles in Leafre of the past. They are The Guardians of Ossyria." Nexus looked at them and bowed his head, but a tear looked as if it gathered in one of his noble eyes.

"I see." He said, wiping the tear away with a huge claw.

"I would like to take them to 2041, just after I left." Andy requested firmly.

"I can't do that Andy." Nexus grunted.

"Why not?"

"They are new to time travel and must first have an exposure to Tachyons. I can only send them further forward then you have been. Yes, a jump that close in time could be made for you since you have been exposed to time's energy far more then they have. You do remember what I told you on your first jump don't you?" Andy shrugged his shoulders and slowly shook his head.

"Not really, it feels like it was a long time ago." Nexus laughed and nodded.

"Alright, I will remind you. Your exposure to Time's Energy must be gradual since Tachyons are much denser the shorter a time jump you make. These Guardians must make a jump at least 200 years in either direction for their first jump. After that, each jump can become progressively shorter. If you were to make a jump from here to 2041 on your first jump, the Tachyons would be so dense that their bodies would disintegrate before they arrived without the proper exposure." Andy sighed: well at least they'll have a taste of some kind of future. He thought for a moment, looking as though he were doing calculations in the air.

"Then send us to 2230. If my calculations are right, then there should be a solar eclipse right around then too. There might be a pretty good celebration in honor of it." Nexus nodded, and then turned his attention to the group.

"You do understand that there is a toll that must be paid in order to travel, do you not?" Jack reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his watch.

"I'm guessing this is the part where we show you these." He said holding up the pocket watch as did the rest.

"I see, so you made copies of the original Andy. That was smart thinking, but they are slightly unstable. Once you have finished with these, you must turn them over to me for proper disposal." They all nodded, and Nexus swung mightily, tearing a hole in mid air where the same blue energy could be seen.

"Since Andy is from the future and he is going with you, his past will affect what you see as a future." He warned as they all stepped through. Olsen was the last one though and knocked him flat on the ground when a huge explosion erupted at his feet. His ears rang, his head felt light, his vision was blurry and his body felt like he had been hit with hundreds of punches. Through the fog in his mind, Olsen could see Matthew and Helen running up to him: Matthew swung his sword to block something and then ducked behind his cloak, while Helen could be seen trying to assess him. She looked back to Matthew and said something, at which he came over, picked Olsen up over his shoulder and began running away while Helen cast strong spells to cover them.

"Is this the kind of future that you were going to show us?" Jack hollered, grabbing his Peacemaker and firing off rounds back at the attacking force, while Jenny let loose her powerful Wind Arrows, ducking up and down behind their cover.

"No! I don't understand! This shouldn't have happened!" Andy shouted in return. A seven foot android landed right where they were, aiming its plasma cannon at them as it charged until Matthew reached for his Sunrise, transformed his Cloak into the serrated edge and swung as hard as he could at the machine, but only managed to send it flying instead of cutting through it. Soon others began landing, each of them trying to destroy the androids, but instead only managed to throw them back. After a long while the group finally managed to outrun the androids and hide under a pile of rubble. All around them were heaps of buildings with the entire landscape scared and destroyed in burning or smoldering mountains of rubble.

"What the heck were those things?" Aeris asked, looking out through a small hole in the pile for anymore of their mechanical assailants.

"Those were Maverick type-D's: The Ossyrian Guard of the future. I don't understand! This shouldn't have happened!" Andy said, holding his chin in his hand. Nathan picked him up by the collar and held him against the wall, holding the tip of his spear to Andy's neck.

"What do you mean? Has something changed?!" Nathan asked with a sneer.

"No and that's the problem!" Andy shouted back. Nathan put him down when Jack and Aufheben came over, Jack pressing the end of his gun in his face.

"Alright future boy, what aren't you telling us?"

"Yes, what aren't you telling us!" Aufheben demanded. Andy sighed heavily as he gathered the courage to say what he had done while Matthew stood between her and Andy, sensing that if he wasn't vigilant, Aufheben would tear him to shreds.

"Two months before you two were born I was sent into the future to see what Ossyria would be like with you two as joint Empresses. But this was the future I saw, and when I returned you had already been born, so I began to think of a way to prevent this from happening. It was in 2041 that I kidnapped your sister and took her back to the year 1990, 20 years before our history books said when the Black Mage rose again." Aufheben seethed, barely able to sit still as she shook with rage and her fingernails dug into her hands as she balled her fists.

"I know you kidnapped her. But for a reason as selfish as preventing a _POSSIBLE_ future and then didn't come back? What kind of coward are you?" She asked, a dark aura seeping from her body like a cold flame.

"I wanted to come back! But I lost the one thing that would allow me to come back and so I ended up staying in the past!" Andy's words did little to cool Aufheben's hot tears streaming down her face.

"I spent so many years looking for the both of you! And then Oberon appears in the middle of Orion, and she… she was so different from the sister I knew! She was heartless and cold, and then sent me into the past to know her pain saying that she knew of the scheme to get rid of her so that I could take the throne alone! WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU!" Aufheben shouted as she lunged for Andy, drawing her Plasma great sword and charging hard, but was held back by Matthew. For a moment, Aufheben struggled against him before dropping her sword and collapsing against him, shedding tears of frustration. Andy thought about what it was that she had said, as his eyes darted back and forth, thoughts darting through his mind and light speed.

"You said she returned? But that's impossible! I left her in the care of someone as a child; she shouldn't have been able to return. Something must have happened that I don't know about."

"Way to go captain obvious. So how do we get back to our time anyway?" Jenny scowled.

"Well, if we're where I think we are; we're actually in the center of the Leafre Commerce center. And the Time Gate should be… that way." Andy pointed in a direction where a few stranded trees still stood just outside of the rubble after looking at his digital compass.

"The problem is going to be getting to it." Pointed out Olsen, slowly sitting up as Helen finished healing his injuries from the explosion.

"Please, do not move so much. Your wounds are not completely healed." Olsen patted her shoulder as he sat up.

"They're healed enough for me to move around. Like I sad though, the problem will be getting to the Tera Forest. I may be wrong but it feels like there are hundreds of those things surrounding us." Auzzy initiated his Dark Sight and walked outside the 'bunker', confirming what Olsen had said before running back inside.

"Quick! Hold as still as you can! I think their leader is here." Auzzy hissed, backing as far into a dark corner as he could. Voices could be heard a long way off, but nothing recognizable could be made out. Aufheben spread her wings and silently hovered above the opening with her Plasma Sword activated, and waited.

* * *

"I want you to take red squad and sweep all of sectors 2-4. Then start a random motion sweep through A6. Circuit, I want you to take orange team and sweep sector 5-11 and set up sentries in B5, H3 and Y7." The mavericks nodded, trotting off to their assignments while Dunas walked over to a pile of rubble and stood on the edge, letting the cement tainted wind fill his nose. Slowly he reached into his cloak and pulled a very old picture of his long lost love, Aufheben, or as he liked to call her, Ashley.

"_Oh Ashley, if only you were here with me now…_" he thought, tucking the picture back into the pocket in his cloak. Suddenly he heard the sound of rubble being disturbed by something and turned to look at what it was, switching his right eye to heat seeking mode and saw foot prints leading back into a crag under a huge slab of concrete. Carefully he walked over to the pile and peered inside: It could be a trap. Those resistance fighters were a tricky bunch and would often time lead a patrol into a place like this and them blow the place sky high. Even with his new more powerful Placement Energy, he still wouldn't be able to outrun an explosion if he went too far in. He switched his eye again into scanning mode, looking for explosives as he slowly ventured in. Aufheben saw her chance and swung down as hard as she could, but the cloaked man threw up his arms and caught the blade between his hands.

"Using swords now are we?" he asked, turning to look over his shoulder at whoever this traitorous resistance member was when his eyes went wide.

"No, it can't be." Slowly he lowered his arms and turned around to face her. Aufheben lowered her sword, deactivating it and then dropping it to the ground before running at him and putting her arms around him.

"DUNAS!" she cried, happily weeping into the crook of his neck while gripping the back of his cloak as hard as she could, not wanting to ever let go.

"Ashely, my Ashley." Dunas replied, putting his own arms around her and holding her tightly. The rest of them could only stare with wide eyes and dumfounded looks on their faces when Aufheben pulled back and kissed him firmly.

"How is Asia? Is she still…" Dunas closed his eyes and sadly shook his head.

"She sustained heavy injuries after the attack by your sister. She hung in there for a good month before her body simply couldn't keep up." Aufheben bowed her head and then leaned against his chest, breathing slowly and sadly trying not to cry.

"Alright alright time out! You two are actually an item?" Jenny asked, coming out of hiding with her hands in the shape of a "T" while the others came out as well. Dunas looked around with unchanging yet questioning eyes.

"Who are these young people with you, besides… you!" Dunas held up his forearm became a plasma cannon, whining high as it glowed red aimed at Andy.

"You are the cause of this future!" Dunas growled. Matthew and Olsen stepped between him and Andy, determined that they wouldn't let a person they could save die.

"Who are you?" Dunas asked as Aufheben eyes softened.

"Relax Dunas. They are the Guardians of Ossyria." Dunas looked at Aufheben and then back at Olsen and Matthew before deactivating his cannon and lowering his arm.

"That's impossible; you're dead. You're all dead! I was forced to watch as your grandchildren were executed before me." Dunas said when Aufheben placed a calming hand on his chest.

"They are from the past Dunas." Dunas could only look from Aufheben to The Guardians time and again, suddenly recognizing features he had seen in their older counterparts while deactivating his plasma cannon.

"If you are indeed whom you claim to be, perhaps you can stop Oberon here, and begin the process once again to heal Ossyria just like you did… before."

"Dunas, we may be the Guardians, but we aren't that powerful." Matthew exclaimed.

"What do you mean? It only took you a couple months to get powerful enough to defeat the Black Mage! And then the Empress Cygnus marries and has a daughter by the Name of Ashura who takes the throne at age 20. In 2021 Aufheben and Oberon were born as…"

"Wait, Back up. You say they're born in 2021? That can't be: we're from 2012. Even if Cygnus were to marry tomorrow and have a kid, the kid would only be 9 years old at best." Lillianne cut in. Andy slumped his shoulders and rocked his head back in disappointment.

"Then the future that we have now can't be changed. You are from an alternate reality: everything that will happen in your future might not happen here. But what was the difference?" Dunas asked, thinking hard about what could have been the altering factor.

"I was." Andy suddenly said.

"By going back in time, I introduced a new person that should never have been there in the first place. Maybe by going back to 2041 when I was just about to take Oberon into the past, we can stop myself from taking Oberon, or at least I can since Nexus said that the possible future was based upon the past I came from."

"Actually, you won't be going anywhere." A female voice said over a loud speaker.

"Come on out everyone! I've brought an end to our little game of hide and seek. So tell me, what exactly do hope to accomplish by sending yourself back in time to stop yourself from taking me? In all honesty, I have to thank you for doing that! Because of you, I was able to meet your most frightening foe, The Black Mage and help him escape his prison!" Aufheben recognized the voice as Oberon and ran out to see her, but the sister that she remembered was gone: behind Oberon was a giant, dark red hex, clad in a tight leather bodice dress with a large studded belt hanging from her hips holding down gothic skirts. Her hair that was normally flowing in long onyx curls was ragged and flat as though it had been cut randomly. Her eyes were wild and reddened with dark makeup around her eyes making her look more dead than alive.

"Oberon, what has happened to you?" Aufheben asked, spreading her wings and flying up to meet her as she hovered in the air.

"Ah yes. My dear traitorous sister; I haven't seen you in… oh almost 200 years. Those years have been the happiest of my life. Ever since that day I sent you back to the past, I have been able to access all of my power. Just look at the paradise I've been able to create!" Oberon suddenly stopped when she felt Aufheben's hand on her cheek looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

"I never wanted you gone Oberon. I miss you, I miss my friend." Aufheben said as tears formed in her eyes at what Oberon had become. For a moment, the light in Oberon's eyes changed and became that of the kind light Aufheben knew.

"Auf… heben… he… help me." She whispered, a fearful tear spilling from her eye and streaking her dark make-up. But the light in her eyes went back in a flash of rage; Oberon drew her sword and swung hard enough that a strong wind erupted from the edge. Aufheben managed to side step her, but Oberon disappeared and reappeared behind Aufheben, swinging down hard.

"Come On! She's too powerful even for Aufheben at this point! We need to get you to the past and stop her before the missiles are launched and convince her to stop!" Dunas shouted as he transformed his arm into a blaster and led the charge towards the Time Portal while Aufheben did the best that she could to hold back Oberon. Mavericks would appear like jack-in-the-boxes, but Dunas quickly took care of each of them with Placement Energy and a blast from his cannon. It didn't take long for them to reach the Tera Forest Portal where Andy opened the door and began activating the Time Portal. Aufheben was quickly tiring from the relentless beating from her sister, barely able to deflect the thunderous sword hits as flashes of light erupted in the sky with each time their swords met edges.

"IT'S OPEN! AUFHEBEN LET'S GO NOW!" Andy called, once the door was open.

"GO! I'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" she screamed, holding back Oberon with all that she had.

"Dunas, come with us." Helen urged as the others filed though the portal.

"I can't: my place is here. And thank you, for at least letting me see Ashley one last time." He smiled, before patting her hands and activating the boosters in his back to fly up to the sisters. In one move, Dunas grabbed Aufheben and hurled her towards the Time Portal before latching onto Oberon as she tried to go after her.

"OH NO YOU DON'T! YOU'RE STAYING RIGHT HERE!" Dunas shouted as he turned the power all the way up on the boosters to try and keep Oberon in place as she beat her powerful wings. Aufheben turned around to wave to Dunas, but instead was witness to Oberon driving her sword through Dunas's chest, sparks, blood and plasma spraying into the air from his back.

"I will go where I please, demon!" Oberon growled in his ear, letting him fall to the ground.

"DUNAS!" Screamed Aufheben, watching helplessly as he was flung to the ground, but then looked up in horror to see Oberon closing in, disappearing from view as the Tera Forest curtain closed. Aufheben felt as if time had stretched out into eternity: the look of hate in her sister's eyes was heart breaking. Shutting her eyes against the hot tears that stung them, she passed through the portal and tumbled to a stop in the Center of Time. Aufheben curled into a ball on the floor, shedding tears of grief as the image of Dunas being run through played over and over in her head while the look in Oberon's eyes haunted her like bad dream.

"Nexus, we need to go to the time when Oberon sent Aufheben into the past. I don't know when that exactly is but we need to get there. I would make a shorter jump, but they aren't acclimated yet." Andy requested with an angered edge in his voice. Nexus nodded and tore another portal into the air, allowing them to pass though time, hopefully to bring this all to an end.

* * *

"Why Oberon? Why are you doing this? For nearly 60 years I searched for you after you had disappeared. Not only was I alone, I was afraid that you had been killed by Andy. Don't you know that I would do anything to get my sister back?" Aufheben asked as she turned to face Oberon. For a brief moment, Oberon felt that she had chosen the wrong path in coming back to this time until a voice echoed in her head.

"_It's all and act Oberon._" Gritting her teeth Oberon fought off the feeling of compassion she felt and held her palm to her.

"LIES!" she screamed, casting a powerful spell at her sister that neither Dunas nor Asia could block in time. Aufheben shut her eyes in reflex, suddenly realizing that she could no longer move. Opening her eyes she saw that everything looked glassed and distorted with a slight blue tint, but no matter how she tried she couldn't move. From where she was she could see Asia running up behind Obron, but was quickly dealt with by a swift cross strike across her gut, making blood spill to the ground and spew from her mouth as she careened into a building.

"ASIA! ASIAAAA!" Aufheben yelled, only having to stop from the sound rebounding into her own ears nearly making her deaf. She could barely see Dunas, but he crept up to behind Oberon as she turned around to face and speak to her sister once more which sounded muffled.

"I have gained power far beyond what you could imagine sister dearest. And now I will make you endure the same fate that I did: being alone with no one to come for you!" with a swift swing of her sword, another tear was created, big enough for Aufheben and her prison to be sent into the past. But before she did, Dunas watched her seem to whisper something to her and then throw her through the portal.

"ASHLEY!" Dunas called as he began running for the portal as it was closing, only to come within a hair's breadth before it completely flickered out of existence, tumbling on the ground behind where the portal had been a moment before. Dunas shook with rage as he retracted his laser cannon, making his mana begin to disperse into the air focusing it around his arms and fists.

"Why Oberon? Why would you do something like that to your own sister?"

"It is because she has become part of my family Dunas." Oberon's voice sounded strange, like a strange whisper was just under the surface of her voice. When he turned to look her in the eye, a dark red flame appeared to be flaring from her right eye.

"She, Aufheben, or as you like to call her, Ashley, will be fine so long as you do exactly as I say. This girl, Oberon was only using one tenth of her potential power, and yet she was able to dispose of all three of you, the Orion Guard, so easily. I'm disappointed: you don't live up to your name." Oberon said, smiling as the flame in her eye dissipated and the whisper in her voice disappearing.

"What is it that you want done?" Dunas growled as he stood, facing Oberon.

"Besides Aufheben, you are the only one that knows the missile launch codes. I want you to launch all of them on Ossyria: destroy it, glass it, and obliterate it."

"Oberon, what are you saying. You would never wish this even on the most despicable of worlds." Dunas protested when the flame and the whispter came back into her voice with a vengeance.

"Oberon has come under the command of the Black Mage, and obeys now one but I!Now launch the missiles, or Aufheben won't be alive for very long." Dunas hung his head: for so long he had fought to protect everyone in Ossyria from dangers amongst themselves, but yet the very danger that he thought had been dealt with two centuries ago, was standing before him.

"_Forgive me, Aufheben_." He thought when something looking like claws tore thought the air allowing Aufheben to step through with the Guardians, Their apprentices and Andy.

"Ashley! How did you…"

"There's no time to explain Dunas. I'll fill you in later." Aufheben smiled before turning back to Oberon as she stood with a strange aura surrounding her.

"Oberon, I know that I've said this before. But I never wanted to rule alone. I never wanted our separation. I wanted us to live together and see Ossyria taken into a new era. I've missed you my sister." Slowly the aura around Oberon began to fade as if the words were beginning to penetrate her icy heart.

"_It's all a lie Oberon. She's just trying to hurt you again._" Oberon growled and drew her sword as Aufheben did the same and stopped her sword.

"Oberon! I don't want to fight you." Aufheben cried, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back tears from seeing what her sister would become. Oberon grit her teeth until they creaked.

"Then I will!" She growled, swinging up and sending Aufheben into the sky, appearing above her and getting ready to strike again when Aufheben righted herself and stopped her blade. The two sisters could then be seen streaking across the sky like lightning, thunder rolling over them each time their swords met edges.

"We have to help her!" Antonia called as she drew her bow when Jenny stopped her.

"Not this time Antonia. We aren't powerful enough to help them right now. We'd only get in the way." Jenny said as she watched the battle above her. Aufheben and Oberon flew at each other time and time again, sparks and ozone falling to the ground as they attacked each other ferociously until Aufheben was sent careening to the ground by a spell from Oberon. Aufheben coughed, trying to make her tired body comfortable in the rubble of the building she had been thrown into, blood running down her face mixing with her locks of hair while Oberon slowly glided down before her.

"Why Aufheben? Why would you abandon me like you did?" Oberon asked.

"I tried Oberon. I even went to Nexus and begged him to let me through to find you and return you to me, but he wouldn't let me pass without giving up my memory of you in order to go into the past. I searched for a way to get to you my sister." Aufheben softly said as she reached up and cradled Oberon's cheek, Oberon feeling tears begin to sting her eyes.

"I would have given everything to have you back, even if I had to give my life." Aufheben whispered as her arm gave out. Oberon caught her before she hit the ground, dropping her sword handle.

"I hear you Oberon, I heard you cry for help before you sent me to the past; I'm here for you, to help you, to heal you." Aufheben whispered. Oberon hugged her tight for a few moments before looking behind Aufheben and saw that both of her legs were pinned under a mountain of rubble. Aufheben heaved, coughing up a glob of blood and holding her chest where a couple of ribs had punctured a lung and a rod of rebar stuck through her gut.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Oberon called as Helen instantly appeared beside her and began to heal the wounds within Aufheben's body while Matthew and Jack tried to lift the heavy boulders away from Aufheben's legs. But no sooner had they begun then a dark chill fell over them making them all of shake in utter terror while vile, smiling whispers filled their ears. Oberon's eyes went wide as the words hit her while she turned around to see The Black Mage.

"F…father? You're my father?" Oberon asked.

"No, it can't be. Our father was a…. man with no name." Aufheben muttered, passing in and out of coherence while fighting back the blinding pain that still racked her body, even with the wounds that Helen healed. The Mage narrowed his eyes, holding out his hand as an image of Ashura appeared within it, and a dark haired man walking into town. The image shifted to Ashura showing him around town, helping him look for talismans he said was lead to believe were in the city.

"You… you used our mother to make us? But why?!" Oberon asked, moving to better protect Aufheben. The Mage's eyes smiled as he looked to her, whispers and hisses filling the air around them.

"You would use us as a puppet to ensure your reign? How could you be so demented? And once you had what you wanted, what then? Would you toss us aside?" Oberon asked. The Mage held his hand up at Aufheben while a dark glow emanated from it as Helen went flying into Jack. Oberon gently laid Aufheben on the ground and stood between her and The Mage, her own fists glowing darkly while Matthew drew his Sunrise, crimson flames blasting into existence around the sword.

"I won't let you hurt a single hair on my sister's head!" Oberon growled, trying to fight back her fears. The Mage simply narrowed his eyes in response, slowly he closing his fist while a painful feeling began to rise within Oberon. It was if her skeleton was trying to be pulled from her body. She fought as long as she could, but the power of The Mage was too much: black aura seeped from her body as spears of light sprang from inside her. Oberon's body suddenly locked with her arms and legs spread wide, screaming out in pain as the power she had been given was ripped from her body. Once The Mage had the power again, he let Oberon fall to the ground in a lifeless heap, one of her hands coming to rest above her head towards Aufheben. Aufheben called to her sister through her tears, and slowly reached out for her hand, despite the pain of her legs still pinned in place by the rubble. Just before her fingertips touched Oberon's, the sound of a weapon being driven though flesh made her stop, unable to move. For a few precious moments, Aufheben hung onto life still trying to reach out for Oberon's hand, but the spear of magic from The Mage held her in place until she finally let out a hard breath and become still, her hand millimeters from Oberon's fingertips. Andy fought though his fear as he used Dunas's arm to do something, punching a message into his arm at an ultra-high frequency before he stopped when The Mage turned and looked at him, his eyes becoming rage filled when they suddenly opened wide with veins of power spreading from them throughout his face.

Holding his hands out, The Black Mage then summoned all of his power and enveloped the world in a dark light that destroyed everything in its path. People everywhere in Orion could be heard screaming as they tried to run from the sphere that exploded into existence, but were quickly silenced as The Mage's power enveloped all of Ossyria. Every one of the Guardians and their students covered their faces in reflex, but nothing happened. Silence descended over the entirety of Orion in ash and rubble while charred bodies filled the streets that had been alive just a moment before. Slowly the sight before them began to fade into a white expanse that stretched for miles in every direction. Olsen looked around and then saw Nexus pad up to them silently.

"What happened?" Auzzy asked, walking over to Olsen, hearing his voice echo for nearly a minute.

"I brought you into the space between times so that you wouldn't be hurt. I know that my vow as ruler of All Time says that I must remain neutral. But I can no longer stand by and do nothing and allow a future with The Black Mage at the head in your world. You young people still have a mission to complete, and until you finish that mission you must remain alive. I will send you back to your own time, and it will be as if you never left."

"But what about Aufheben and Oberon?" Lillianne asked with tears still in her eyes from watching the two sisters be butchered the way they were.

"They will still be alive, but you won't meet them for another few decades. I shall be waiting for you, Guardians of Ossyria. But let me show you something that you helped change." Nexus said as he faded away and what appeared to be a screen appeared in the white expanse.

* * *

Shifting her wings slightly, Oberon walked after Andy who led her into the cloud park where Elliza's grave stone stood. She then walked ahead of Andy a bit and knelt to pay her respects to the guardian beast of Minerva. Andy was about to put the towel dowsed in chlorophorm over her mouth when something in the back of his mind told him that he would be doing more harm than good if he did this.

"_Leave her alone. Ask her to the dance instead…_" a voice said in his head, making him look around a bit. That voice, it almost sounded like Dunas; but Dunas wasn't a telepath, and neither was Asia, so how could Dunas' voice be reverberating in his head as though it were in his ears.

"Is there something that you wanted to ask me?" Oberon asked. Andy tried to seem normal, tucking the rag into his back pocket when the com unit on his arm beeped and vibrated.

"Actually yes, just give me one moment." Quickly Andy opened the small computer on his forearm and madly punched in keys, finding an ultra-high frequency encrypted signal that was decaying very quickly. As fast as he could, he typed away on his arm to decrypt the message that came up in letters and numbers, but the message still came through.

"_To 4ndy, the m3 of the past. Leave 0ber0n 4lon3, if you 7ake her b4ck t* the past you will ensure that the %utur3 y0u saw will 6ome true. Ask h?r to the dance inst?d# and you may even find that she 4 woman worth g3))ing to know. Oh and if you still need further pr^^f that it*s me talking to you, you haven*t washed y0ur clothes in a month."_ Andy sighed and shut the flap on his arm tablet before turning to Oberon and extending his hand.

"Lady Oberon; would you care to accompany me to the autumn ball this year?" Oberon smiled and walked to him.

"I would be delighted." She replied. With that, the screen faded and revealed that they were back in the Tera Forest where Andy could be seen mumbling to himself.

"Ah! There you are Guardians! I've needed to call you here to send you on a mission in time to make sure that a critical piece of information makes it through the ages. Can you do that for me? It starts in 2021." The group looked at each other and nodded as their memories felt like they shifted around.

"Show us the way Andy." Called Matthew, drawing his Sunrise and itching to find out what _their_ future would reveal.

* * *

"How could you let her go like that and not tell me?!" Eldan Giant had been shouting for the past 10 minutes. The Mage growled in his throat and threw up his hand at him, making him into a stone statue, then pulled the power from him just as he had done to Oberon, then summoning Eleanor.

"Yes?" She asked, taking a sensuous pose next to Dragon and pulling his hand around her sumptuous hips. The Mage growled his agitated whispers to them, commanding them to stop in on Ergoth to find if he had been siphoning mana from the drill. The two of them nodded and walked out of the room, leaving The Mage with his thoughts; why was that every promising disciple he created became a waste of magic?

**If you are somewhat lost, refer back to Chapter 11 of season 1**


	5. Chapter 4: The Bitter Sweet Taste

Chapter 4: The Bitter Sweet Taste

_Kyrin walked down the hall way of her ship, the Nautilus, coming back to the helm after eating in the mess hall where Tangyoon had whipped up an improvised dinner of steaks and potatoes. Supplies were running low and they would need to stop somewhere to resupply soon, but everywhere they went they'd always be turned away. Maybe it was because of the way they dressed or more importantly, the look of their ship which was pretty menacing even if it did look like a whale with a patch. After hearing the requested ship's status, she took her seat in the captain's chair and let the fur trimmed cloak fall from her shoulders. _

_"Muirhat, Take us to heading niner four, two degree descent and hold at 1500." Normally she would have heard the Jamaican accented Muirhat respond with 'aye mum' and then repeat the order. But this time he didn't respond. Kyrin got up from her chair and looked back, but no one was there._

_"Captain! We have multiple bogies incoming at four eight low, 2 clicks and closing fast!" called Baine,_

_"Sis! Engine room reports power fluctuation and I'm showing flooding in the lower deck."_

_"Baine, Load torpedo bays 1-3, and let me know when their ready. Porchey do you read?" Kyrin called as she took her hat off and grabbed the helm._

_"Yes, I'm here!"_

_"Start the pumps and get the water outta the lower decks!"_

_"Torpedoes loaded Captain." Baine called._

_"Acknowledged Baine, stand-by. Parchey, will the engine hold for full blow?" Kyrin asked, pulling back as hard as she could on the giant wooden helm wheel._

_"Yes, they should. But we're gonna need to shut they down and do some maintenance after."_

_"Just as long as it holds to the surface. ALL HANDS! BRACE FOR FULL BLOW! BLOW IT SHULYNCH! Shulynch slammed her hand down on a large red button at her station. Instantly there was a rushing sound as compressors kicked on and the ballast tanks filled with air, forcing out the water. As soon as that happened, everyone struggled to keep from hitting the floor as the Nautilus ascended. Muirhat clawed his way back to the wheel, tapping Kyrin on the shoulder._

_"Muirhat! Where were you!?" Kyrin demanded._

_"Sorry Mum, but I needed a batroom break." Kyrin shook her head as she turned the helm back over to him and hung onto the helm._

_"Baine! Where those bogies?"_

_"400 yards and closing!" The window of the Nautilus began to brighten as they neared the surface, making Kyrin cue the ship's com._

_"Once we stabilize I want you to locate the bogies and fire when ready. HANG ON! WE'RE GOING FOR A LITTLE RIDE!" she shouted just as the Nautilus broke through the surface of the water and launched into the air, making everyone and everything hang in mid air for a few moments before crashing back down into the water. Everyone inside hit the floor of the ship hard, but they had to ignore their pounding heads and deal with the threat that was still coming at them fast. Kyrin ran over to the radar station and looked over her sister's shoulder: 100 yards to go. From the formation they looked like those damned Bone Raiders again: group of bandits that used half baked spells as well as motor powered ships able to fire 'Personnel Torpedoes.'_

_"Looks like Grey Horn didn't learn his lesson the last time!" She growled, tightening her corset strings and Bandana._

_"It's been a while since I've had a good fight!" she laughed as she walked towards the tower, climbing the ladder to the top. Just as she jumped to the hull of the ship, six torpedo's shot up from the water, five men jumping out of each one. Most of them never even touched the hull of the ship as Kyrin slammed her fists, elbows and boots into the dropping pirates. Kyrin caught one by the shirt just as another landed on the ship's hull beside her, getting ready to cast a half baked ice spell when he froze from seeing the look in Kyrin's eyes._

_"Sorry pal, you lose." She said, cocking back the hammer before blowing a hole through his gut. She then tossed the man she held into the air and drop kicked him into a group of pirates walking towards her. But just as she was about to get up, another pirate cocked his gun and held it to her head._

_"No Kyrin, this time, YOU lose!" a weathered voice croaked. She looked up to see a man with a grey beard, hair and ashen colored skin dressed in a long black coat, holding a large pistol to her head._

_"You know, you cost me a lot of men during our supply run to Carkos." He breathed, licking his teeth and then spitting a wad of chew into the ocean. _

_"You weren't there for supplies Grey Horn!" Kyrin shot back when he hauled her from the deck by her corset strings, making it tighten around her uncomfortably while he jammed his pistol into her mouth._

_"It doesn't matter. It's people like you that make it hard for a pirate to make an honest living!" he grinned, tightening his finger around the trigger when he went flying, dropping Kyrin to the deck again. Muirhat tumbled and punched, using everything that Kyrin had taught him until he reduced the pirates to nothing more than Grey Horn and a few men running away in their personnel torpedoes. _

_"Ah you alright Kyrin?" Muirhat asked as he walked over to her and helped her to her feet. Kyrin nodded and then began laughing nervously, which Muirhat soon joined in with as they walked back into the Nautilus. Suddenly all at once, the ship, ocean and sky disappeared into a black nothingness as two riveting green eyes opened in that blackness. _

_"Help me Kyrin!" _a voice said, making Kyrin start from her sleep, realizing that she was in the sleeping quarters of the _Nautilus_ once again with Mark's arm held firmly around her waist. She sighed and sat up, the mass of her red-orange hair falling around her in a crumpled mess and the oversized shirt she used for pajamas wrapped up around her. She got up and pulled the thick blanket away from the window in her room just as Shulynch knocked on the door and then came in.

"Oh! Sis, you're up early." Kyrin quickly looked back and put her finger to her lips, pointing back to Mark who was leaning against his hand and yawning wide, ruffling his already messy black hair.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you Mark. But Aran says that we wanted me to get you guys since 'The Five' are going to Perion to destroy another of the Mana Drills." Kyrin nodded as she stretched.

"I'll be there in a few." She yawned, looking out over the bay's waters, thinking over the dream she had while Mark walked up behind her, put his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder.

"_I wonder why it is I've been having so many dreams about Muirhat lately. And what's with that bit about 'help me' at the end of those dreams?_" She wondered, but it was something that she didn't think about long, getting dressed and walking to the meeting circle where a table had been set up with a small map.

"Ah, Kyrin, good you're here. A reconnaissance mission by some of Jin's more advanced students just came back with information about the Mana Drill that's in Perion."

"Even though Auzzy and I already went? What more could there be to know?" Olsen asked, twirling his new Double Knife around his hand as though he were bored.

"The only reason you went to Perion in the first place was to ascertain whether or not a Mana Drill existed there, and you did. However this mission was to see if we could gain any intel on what other creatures were within the castle itself. One of them managed actually get into the castle and find dungeon prisoners, some of which he recognized from the attack on Victoria, but didn't see much else in the castle."

"Did he happen to see if Murhat was among them?" Kyrin blurted out. Aran looked to her for a moment as though taken aback by her strange inquiry while thinking over the report he had recived.

"No, I'm sorry Kyrin. The one that did make it into the castle unfortunately didn't make it out: only the part about the prisoners was received through radio." Kyrin's eyes fell as she nodded sadly, making a mental note to keep that brave ninja in her mind.

"However there is something that you might want to know. The one who got in did manage to inform his team that the demon Ergoth was the one guarding the Anchor, and that he seemed to be slowly gathering small amounts of mana from the stream leading back to The Mage's castle."

"And how is that in our favor Aran?" Jack asked, spinning his newest pistol, the Concerto Di Morte, on his finger with a smug look on his face.

"It's not. At least this way you can go into the castle prepared for exactly what you are up against." Matthew nodded while resting his hand on the top of his newly forged Spartan Edge sword, still waiting for the strange Sawtooth Serpent sword which was receiving its final touches in the forge, thinking over what they would need in preparation.

"Alright: Jack and Antonia, I want you to go to Tae Gong and see if he has a few Snow, Orange peel and Red Herb potions. If what I understand about this Ergoth is correct, he won't go down easy and we're going to need every edge we can get. Helen, Jenny and Lilli: I need you to go to Mu Lung and talk to Neinheart, find out what you can about what could bring a demon like him down and anything about the Sharenian ruins since that's where this Mana Drill is. Olsen, you, I, Nathan and Aeris are going to the Forge where they should be finishing up our new armor. Auzzy, I need you to go around town and find whatever food you can stuff into this bag. If our experiences with these Mana Drills carry, the prisoners are going to be VERY hungry, assuming any are still alive. Meet at the docks within two hours." As Matthew named off tasks, each of the groups left with their specific tasks. Kyrin just stood, reaching her arm across and grabbing her elbow, deep in thought.

"You want to go with them don't you?" Mark asked, putting his hand on the small of her back.

"Yes, because I've still been having dreams about one of my crewmen that disappeared when the attack on Victoria began." Mark nodded, rolling his shoulders and leaning back, cracking his back.

"Then I guess I better get dressed. I want to try out everything I've been learning from you." Mark announced as he turned to go when Kyrin reached out and grabbed his arm.

"No, not this time. Ergoth is a terror compared to anything they have faced so far; I don't want to lose you." She mused as she looked down to the ground. Mark reached out his hand and grabbed hers, pulling it up to his chest and placing it over his heart.

"Do you feel this? This is the weak heart you helped make strong; I'm not going anywhere." Mark replied softly, reaching up and brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek with his free hand as he turned her head up and softly kissed her. Shulynch looked down to the ground, mostly out of embarrassment at watching her older sister, but even more so kicking herself for not telling Muirhat what she felt when she had the chance.

"I'm going too." She announced, making Kyrin and Mark jump, turning back to her. Kyrin smiled slyly and nodded, motioning for her to come over to them as the three of them made a circle and hugged each other tightly.

* * *

Dragon began to feel restless: sure he had been going back and forth between The Mage's castle and the Mana Drill in Perion, but that wasn't what was itching at him. It was the blank gap in his mind that he wanted to fill and his mother Dia, a pure breed Seraphim, was the key. Finally he had had enough, telling Eleanor that he would return shortly from some personal business. As quickly as he could, he jumped into a skiff and took off for the forests just outside of Herb Town and the clearing where Dia could often be found with her massive white wings spread wide, absorbing the sunlight as though it were recharging her. He landed the skiff outside of the clearing, and just when he stepped inside, he could hear an angelic chorus of voices as Dia silently glided in.

"Dragon, my son. It's been a while since you came to visit, are you alright?" Dragon nodded and bowed slightly.

"Actually, no. It's just been gnawing at me that I don't have any recollection of my childhood, like a large portion of my past didn't happen." Dia smiled as she put her arms around him and held him close.

"I understand how that feels Dragon. But during our time apart I've been able to learn what it is that happened to you." Dia motioned to a fallen log where the two of them sat and began.

"After the Seraphim had been captured, you came out of hiding and found Marcus, sitting by his body for hours in a trance-like state. A village chief nearby had seen the smoke and came over to see what it was that had happened after the attack was over. As he searched for survivors, he found you sitting by Marcus's body and mumbling something about what you and he were going to do the next day with the handle of his sword in your lap. The Village Chief picked you up, flailing as hard as you could and brought you all the way back to his village, locking you in his room to keep you away from the horrid sight he found you in while his wife calmed you down as you cried.

"The next day, he and some of the men went back to the village and buried the dead, putting the Dume as a headstone to your father. It took a few weeks, but he and his wife managed to bring you out of your trance and took care for you for the next twenty years, telling you of what happened and over time, you eventually told them who the Chief found you next to. One day a traveling swordsman came to your village seeking help since his wounds were quite extensive; he was the only remaining man of his platoon that went into the Temple of Time to try and defeat Pink Bean." Dragon snorted a bit, thinking back on how he had seen the fat little creature walk through the halls of The Mage's castle with an effort filled waddle.

"What's so funny?" Dia smiled.

"I've read about this Pink Bean and can hardly imagine him to be such a pain, especially from the pictures." Dia chuckled as well, recounting her encounters with the pink marshmallow being.

"You were the one who took care of the wounded swordsman until he was ready to leave. At the time he had no money to offer you, but instead asked if you would like to be his apprentice. Of course you accepted the offer without hesitation and over the next few years, polished the basic skills he had learned from his master. Once you had mastered them, he took you to see the Advance Master Tylus, and not long after that, the High Elder Harmonia. Once you had reached you highest discipline, he then told you that you must choose or make a weapon for yourself and make your own armaments to, in his own words, surpass your master. You chose to use Marcus's Sword of Dume as your weapon, and as you can see, it has served you well. Your Gauntlets and Greives you yourself made after mining the rare Pieces of Time from within the lowest levels of the Ludibrum Clock Tower. After that, you traveled mostly until you settled in a small town as their sheriff of sorts. It is there that the town gathered their tailors together and made you the coat you wear now as thank you for helping to protect their town. The tattoo's on your cheeks were something you selected on your own from a traveling tattoo artist." Dragon sat for a minute, absorbing all of that information and feeling as though the giant void in his soul had finally been filled; finally he was no longer a shell of an existence.

"Does that answer your question Dragon?" Dia asked, placing a slender hand on his shoulder.

"Not all of them, but it does answer most of them; thank you mother." Dragon sighed, looking over his shoulder at the handle of his Dume and smiling.

"Well, I'm glad I could be of some help." Dia replied, standing and hugging Dragon's head close to her heart before turning with wings spread back to her village. Dragon watched for a while as she left with a smile on his face, which soon became serious as he got up and returned the Skiff

"The rest I'm going to have to ask from _her_." He muttered to himself, pointing the skiff back to The Mage's castle.

* * *

As requested, everyone returned from their tasks and had changed into the armor Matthew, Olsen and Auzzy had retrieved from the forge. Matthew was dressed in the Obsidion Neos: a very angular armor, with the shoulder cowl slanting upwards over his arms which were sectioned once at the shoulder, and again at the elbow. Gold Leaf outlined the muscle detail carrying into the pants, the legs of which had been sectioned multiple times for ease of movement. The Korben Gauntlets and Black Crescent grieves were decorated just the same of the armor: black and intricate gold leaf designs.

"Is everything ready?" Matthew asked as the girls came back from changing into their new clothes.

"I believe so. We were not able to find very much, but what we did managed to find I think will be helpful." Helen replied. Jack stared in awe of her for a moment as the cool sea breeze blew her delicate Onyx Bazura: a flowing tube dress which stopped just below her knees, while half sleeves came from her elbow and would envelope her hand as she held them at her side. Her Varr shoes fit comfortably, turning up and pointed at the toe, while her Varr hat looked similar to a jester's hat, sporting three small bells at the end of the drooping arms. Aeris's question could almost be heard in the air as 'The Five' boarded the ship, wanting so badly to go with them.

"Listen, I know you four want to come with us, but this battle is defiantly going to be more then you can handle." Jack said sadly. Aeris disappointedly sat down on the dock, watching her teacher leave without her, _again. _Aran saw her disappointment and then showed her a letter that he had received the previous day, but wasn't able to send anyone since 'The Five' were busy with other assignments and he couldn't spare anyone.

"I received a letter from Alishar requesting assistance because of an uprising of Chronos within the Ludibrum clock tower. I'll take you four to see the Advance Masters today, and when your masters return, you will have your own mission to Ludibrum to help him." The student's faces lit up in anticipation, with Jack nodding his approval, clamping on his new King's Cross knucklers: a sleeve of black metal with three large spikes standing on the top of the sleeve. The Fire Duke clothes he wore, sported blood red pants and a black coat that was held together by gold chains across the front with the collar and cuffs the same color as the pants finishing with his unruly hair tied down by a dark violet bandana.

Jack thought it reminded him of a red version of the Emerald Sea that he would hopefully receive soon once he had fully trained and was ready to defeat the Black Mage. Jenny hugged Antonia, telling her how proud she was of her for reaching this level of achievement and boarded the ship. Her newly finished Azure Armis consisted of a fitted, sleeveless halter dress and blue trousers which hugged her waist with a sturdy belt and large gold buckle. Wispy cloud-like designs were embroidered on the center of the dress, while a single white shoulder guard in the shape of a wing rested on her left shoulder. Over her shoulders was slung the Dark Nirsock bow, the wood being carved into something that resembled a Hawk's head, stained with charcoal and decorated with gold leaf on the beak and feather detail. The Dark Neschere cross bow hung from her hip, the metal hammered and shaped into that of a black hawk with the sinews tied between its wingtips.

"Where's Olsen?" Called Lillianne as the ship began to pull away from the dock. Alden looked at Lillianne for a moment, and then began sniffing the ground, catching Olsen's scent which lead him back to the gang plank opening in the railing. Jenny looked back to the dock, watching as Olsen was running in an all out sprint, then jumped as high as he could propelling himself further as a large hex appeared behind him and shot him over the water onto the deck.

"You're getting crazier by the day you know that Olsen?" Jenny laughed as Olsen skidded to a stop on the deck.

"It helps be keep on my toes. I had to run to the forge real quick to pick up a few more shuriken." He panted, straightening the shirt of his Azure Katinas: A deep blue kimono shirt and thick knee length pants tucked into knee high boots of the same color. He pulled the belts tight of his new Crimson Craven claw: a sleeve of four diamond shaped pieces that completely covered his forearm. On his pinky and index knuckles were two highly polished brass horns, and coming up the center was a sharpened brass shaft, extending beyond his hand attached metal on top of his hand. On his hip, he sported the handle-like Double Knife, which in spite of Olsen's protesting, had a certain dangerous beauty to it.

"You lot look like you're almost ready to take on The Mage right now." Shanks called from the Helm as he prepared the ship to leave the cove.

"You better take care of that armor, because it will be the last of its kind until you see the High Elders." Kyrin called, walking up from the hold.

"Mom! Dad! Aunt Shelly! What are you three doing here?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Your mom's been having some strange dreams about one of her crew mates, and felt strongly that she should come along with you to get rid of this Mana Drill." Shulynch replied, twirling her gun around her finger for a moment before shoving it into the holster.

"Not only that, but your father wanted to try some of his skills out as a brawl master." Kyrin said, tilting her chin up at Mark. Jack only laughed, knowing what he was like when he first began to see the results of his training.

"What do you mean that 'last of its kind'? Are we not going to be getting any more armor or something?" Jenny asked: she had become rather fond of getting new armor every couple months: It kind of felt like Christmas or her birthday.

"No, that's not quite what I mean. However I do mean that you'll need to take better care of the armor t you have on right now. Once you receive the Legend Armor, you'll need to be aware of what you do to it and how to care for it so that it takes care of you." Kyrin smiled, setting a heavy hand on Jack's shoulder and looking back to Mark.

"Alright people, here we go!" Shanks called, starting the turbines and easing up the throttle making the ship gain speed through the water.

"So exactly what kind of armor will we get once we see the High Elders?" Matthew asked with new interest. Kyrin just looked back at him and quickly raised her eyebrows as the ship bolted off into the sky.

* * *

It wasn't easy getting away from the castle again, especially since he had already gone away once for personal business. However The Mage seemed to trust that Dragon wasn't doing anything that would harm his cause, and Eleanor happened to be away at the moment gathering herbs to make into her special Mana potion for The Mage. As he made his way to El Nath, He constantly questioned his motives for wanting to see _her_ again and worrying that his true purpose was slowly being erased to become the very thing that he had promised to help fight. Dragon shook his head, trying to calm his thoughts as he lowered the ship in a snow field a little ways away from El Nath, quickly trekking into town. It was busier than usual, especially since some of the people from Herb Town had been returning. It brought a small smile to his face, but he shook it off: he had to try and remain as he had made himself out to be: Lord Dragon of the Black Wings. It wasn't long until he was in the old familiar alley where he had come to receive his assignments, and where Wence assigned him to turn his back on Ossyria and become what they hated most in order to learn what it was The Mage was planning.

"I'm surprised that you still remember this place, Dragon." A calming female voice said from a roof top just behind where Dragon stood.

"How could I ever forget Starling. It was you after all who dug me out of that rubble." Starling brushed back her strawberry blond locks and jumped down from the roof, putting her ever ready hands on her large pistols.

"The Silent Crusade could really use your help again Dragon. Wence went out on a mission and has yet to even report in on his progress. Sodane has managed to keep the organization together since Bastille was found out, but things are starting to get out of hand with all the villages filling up again." Starling said as she closed her eyes and then reached over and grabbed her elbow.

"That isn't the only reason is it?" Dragon asked softly as he turned around to face her. She turned her head away from him and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I… I just don't want to be alone anymore. I thought that I could handle letting a village or two be erased off the face of Ossyria when they couldn't pay our fee. But then when my village was attacked, it left me so hollow, so alone." Dragon pulled off his gauntlet and reached out to cradle her jaw, which Starling then put both of her hand on as though relishing his touch.

"Bastille forced me to see what the world was really like within the Silent Crusade, and for a while I managed to pretend like it was all for the good of man. But when your village was attacked by Dragon Turtles and you were the sole survivor, I knew that I could no longer follow Bastille's commands." Dragon chuckled softly, smiling as he remembered being pulled from the rubble of his house by Starling and Wence after nearly being buried in it.

"I remember that. You were so stuck up then, thinking that you could do everything on your own, that you didn't need anyone and trying to put on a brave face as I was put under your command." Starling opened her riveting reddish brown eyes and looked deep into Dragon's.

"Yes, and it was during that time that we found out about Bastille was using the Silent Crusade to line his own pockets, and how it was him who hired the mercenaries to destroy my home town after he refused to protect them, just because he wanted to silence the village chief who became wise to his plot. But through all that, it was you Dragon that broke through the walls that I had put up in order to protect myself from ever getting hurt." Starling closed her eyes again and tilted her head into Dragon's hand.

"But now that you've been away, it's felt as if a part of myself has disappeared with you. Won't you please come back to us? To me?" Dragon struggled to hold back the small tears of his own as he slowly shook his head.

"Honestly Starling, I doubt that I ever will be able to return to the Silent Crusade. You were there when I left to become a Black Wings solider, and we both knew that time together may have been our last. Do you still have the pendant I gave to you?" Starling looked down and nodded, reaching behind her scarf and pulling out the small topaz pendent in the shape of a maple leaf with two gold wings spreading from it and a pea sized emerald at the base of the leaf.

"I keep it right near my heart. But that's where you should be, not this lifeless pendant!" Dragon shook his head once again and put a finger to her lips.

"Starling, I've treasured the time that we had together, but the mission that I am on has an uncertain future for me, and I don't want you to see what it is that I may have to do. So please, don't wait for me all your life and miss out on a chance to find true happiness." Starling's eyes became sadder with each word that Dragon spoke, wanting with all her being for Dragon to just give up this crazy mission and come back to her. But at the same time she knew that what he said was right, and that she may end up waiting for eternity only to find that Dragon had…

"When this is all over, and if you are able, can you at least come and find me to tell me that you're alright?" Starling asked, frantically. Dragon smiled bravely, then kissed two of his fingers and touched them to her forehead as he had always done, and then turned to leave. Just before he had turned completely around, Starling grabbing his arm and turned him back around, grabbed his coat collar and pulled him down to meet her lips for what she thought would be the last time as a tear fell from her eyes. When she finished, she did the best she could to dry her eyes and then looked at Dragon with the same practiced frustration she was always known for.

"You better come and find me Dragon!" she shouted, before turning around and disappearing over the rooftop. Dragon smiled sadly and turned to go.

"I'll try Starling, I'll try."

* * *

The group disembarked from the ship outside of Perion and quickly made their way to the abandoned excavation site, still with the eerie silence hanging thick in the air. Olsen guided the whole group to the posted sign since he had already been there. However just as they were through the sign, everyone began to feel the effects of the castle draining their mana.

"Why is this castle so much more powerful than the others?" Lillianne asked, holding her head from a wave of dizziness washing over her.

"I can only assume that it is because this is where the old Sharenian ruins are, thus empowering the drill even more and expanding its draining ability." Helen said to at least provide something of substance when in reality she was completely lost.

"Actually it's just because Master Ergoth has the Mana drill turned WAAAAAAAAAAAY up!" called a small child's voice. Everyone turned to see a small girl wearing a safari outfit with a red bandana tied around her neck.

"Hi there! I haven't seen you here before! Oh well. I any case, I'm Shuang! Here, you're going to needed these if you're gonna walk around in here." The girl said, holding out 9 pairs of earrings with a small purple gem.

"I was told that whoever came in here was going to need a pair of these to keep the drill from taking away all your mana! Hope you have a wonderful visit!" she said, winking out of existence as the earrings fell to the ground.

"Well guys, do we trust what the girl said?" Shulynch asked, reaching out for a pair and looking over them in her hand.

"This drill drains mana out of whatever it can gets its hands on: even the minions of the Black Mage have to have _some_ kind of failsafe." Jenny pointed out, taking off her Snail's Eyes and clipping in the stones, instantly feeling the drain on her mana disappear. Soon everyone clipped on the earrings as they walked for the castle where they were met with a huge gorge filled with bubbling acidic liquid at the bottom. Olsen was sure that he would be able to just jump across, using his spare kunai to climb up the drawbridge and open it for them, above which was a large stone cylinder with three notches spaced randomly along the sides.

"Hold on a minute Olsen." Matthew commanded as he drew his Sawtooth Serpant: a sword with an unusual 5 foot blade, nearly twice as wide at the blunt tip than at the guard. It consisted of interlocking sections tipped with a large claws on the cutting edge. Matthew took a breath and forced it out, as each section of sword looked to be leaking mana like steam. With a grunt Matthew swung the sword sections separated, each of them connected by a rubber band of mana reaching halfway across the gorge when it struck an invisible barrier, making a ripple appear in the air. With a firm tug on the handle, each section clanged back together, locking when Matthew turned the handle.

"That's why I wanted you to wait, Olsen. You would've been a boiling ooze pile by now." Matthew chuckled. Jack and Helen just stared at Matthew's sword as he put it on his back.

"What?"

"That, WAS AWSOME! How did you do that?" Jack asked excitedly. Matthew redrew his sword and held it up for him to see.

"I can separate the blade sections using my mana to create a whip sword." Jack wanted a deeper explanation, but pushed aside the questions to start looking for a way across. Something suddenly caught Mark's eye, peeking his curiosity to the end of a small stone wall where ivy had grown over. He pulled it aside, revealing a pocket in the end of a wall where three small statues stood.

"Hey! I found something over here!" he called. For a moment he just stared at the figures and then reached out to try and pick one up when a section of wall on the path leading towards the castle glowed, showing a pattern of the same statues in three separate lines. Jenny looked them over and then had an idea: she looked at the first line of pictures and then ran over to the statues, touching the statues in the order she had seen in the picture, finishing by hitting the winged lion statue that sat above the other three on the wall. Once she had completed the pattern, one of the large stone rings above the drawbridge rotated to match up with a small nub in the wall and then sank into the wall. The sound of a large metal something on the inside clanked hard while metal pieces swung up and away from the bottom of the bridge. Jenny then quickly looked over the second line and repeated the process which made the second ring sink into the wall with another loud clank. Once Jenny had entered the final sequence, the last stone ring sank into the wall while another head shaking clang sounded from inside allowing the drawbridge fall open, hitting the ground with a thunderous roar.

"Knock knock." Jack said jokingly as the nine of them walked into the castle.

"If I remember correctly, this reminds me of the Guild Party quest within the game. From the pages of the book that we found in Nienheart's Library, we found there are four spears we need to obtain in order to open the next gateway." Helen said as she looked around the large chamber they had walked into.

"Oh yeah, I remember that!" Olsen smiled as he began looking around for a door and found it with ease. As they walked into the room, high above them were four giant chandeliers, each with strange green flame candles. Alden sniffed around on the floor for a bit, and then looked up at the chandeliers before walking over to Helen and pawing at her hand.

"What is it Alden?" she asked as Alden walked around to face her and then reared up and placed his paws on her shoulders, touching his horn to her forehead. Helen was pulled into a vision, seeing the chandeliers as if she flew up to them, looking at the center and seeing a double headed spear with a twisted shaft resting in the center of the chandelier. It only lasted a moment which allowed Helen to tell the others what it was she had seen. Using all of their strength, Jack and Matthew launched Olsen into the air who drew and threw a single star through the chains that held the chandeliers to the ceiling. He then used his jumping hex as a cushion as he came back down to the ground without hurting himself. However once they had cut the chandlers loose, the door they had come through slammed shut while gates on either side of the hall opened. From within those gates, creatures that seemed to be made completely of stone with leather crossed belts on their chests grunting as they came into the light, their eyes glowing with a dark red light.

"Eliminate the intruders." One of them said as a horde of the creatures stepped into the room.

"Strong Stones! These are among the toughest of creatures that were created by the Sharenian; a prototype of the Stone Goloms." Kryin called, sliding on her knucklers and readying up.

"THEN LET'S HAVE A PARTY!" Shouted Jenny as her arrow glowed brightly before she shot it into the air where it exploded into a solid wall of arrows raining down. Jack clenched his fists hard and ran at the first of the creatures to get close, hitting it hard enough that it would have shattered a wall with thunder echoing though the hall. But the creature remained unfazed and simply advanced forward. Jack could only back out of the way in pain as Jenny's arrows came crashing down, splintering and sparking off of their skin.

"What happened? I thought for sure that would have at done some kind of damage." Helen asked as she ran over to Jack and began healing his broken fingers.

"That's because you need to hit it with something other than brute force!" Kyrin shouted as she and Shulynch drew their pistols, bolts of flame shooting at each of the creatures tearing chunks out as though they as though they were nothing.

"Use anything that you have that's Fire Based! These things can't take too much heat, so use whatever you can. Jack, lightning is a form of fire; you can use the Thunder Punch against them as well." Kyrin called as the sisters reloaded the pistols and began firing off rounds again. Matthew pulled his Spartan sword from his belt, transforming his cloak into the serrated form on the cutting edge of the sword while his arm was engulfed with a mana flame and roared into hot orange fire down the length of his sword. With a war cry Matthew charged in, taking down beast after beast while an orb appeared around his wrist with each attack that made contact.

"Helen, Fire me!" Jack shouted. Helen touched the poison pouch on her belt, drenching his Knucklers and then igniting them. Jack changed his tactics to only slug each of the beasts a few times, tearing chunks of stone from their bodies as a bubble of energy began to envelop him with each punch that he threw. Helen held out her staff, firing off poisonous flame arrows that obliterated each creature as they first hit, cracked and then exploded. Jenny and Alden ran along the edge of the room as she fired wind arrows mixed with her own flames, melting through scores of creatures with each pass. Olsen transformed his cloak into its Fire Blade form, cutting though the creatures as fast as he could with blinding speed. Lillianne could be seen swinging through the beasts with all of her strength, the cutting edge of her halberd beginning to glow with heat as she attacked, power building within herself and then unleashing it all in a whirlwind that scorched the beasts surrounding her hundreds of times, leaving behind molten cuts in their skin. As Matthew fought off the beasts, he noticed how the beasts began to look fragile because of the fire attacks being thrown at them.

"EVERYONE COVER YOUR EARS AND GET DOWN! JENNY! SHIELD THEM WITH OUR CLOAK." Matthew shouted as he transformed the cloak into its shield form and went on the defensive, taking blows on the shield as each of the Strong Stones would slam their fists into it, backing Matthew against the wall. The others fought their way through the sea of beasts to get behind Jenny as she crouched down and held up her cloak.

"This is the end of you, thief!" one of them said as it raised its fist to finish off Matthew. As he came down, Matthew tilted his shield to the side and deflected the blow into the wall, breaking off its fists.

"Not this time." He growled, pushing the beast back and then thrust his left palm forwards.

"DRAGON'S ROAR!" he shouted as a seal formed, centered on his hand where a dragon's head appeared in the center and roared with earth shaking volume. Each of the weakened beasts shattered into tiny pebbles as silence filled the hall.

"Now I know why you are all revered among the people in Herb Town: What you all did was amazing!" Mark coughed as he stood up from behind Kyrin.

"Well, truth be told, that was the easy part." Matthew huffed, sheathing his sword and walking back to the chandeliers to retrieve the spears.

"So wait, what exactly are we supposed to do with these?" Olsen asked as he pulled the last one free.

"The old book in Nienheart's library told how the Sharenian king used a series of locks to keep the Rubian safe underground. The first was the drawbridge, the second were these spears which were then stabbed into four alters scattered around this room." Lillianne said as she clipped her halberd to her back and took one of the spears to a corner of the room. She then stabbed it into a platform where it transformed into a green crystal surrounded by bright wings. Jenny, Matthew and Kyrin took the other three to the corners of the room and did the same, each of the spears turning into a bright green crystal. Once all the spears had been placed, green lines like circuits, began to thread throughout the floor towards one wall where they all merged and outlined a circular door. It first pushed out, and then rolled aside allowing them into what appeared to be a large dining hall where five statues stood. Four of the statues looked to be the upper portion of knight's armor, holding a sword with the point resting on the ground. In the middle of the knights was a statue of a winged lion, whose eyes were glowing rubies.

"Greetings to you who have entered into the Banquet Hall: please, sit and dine with us." The statue suddenly said. The stone broke away to reveal a great golden lion, shaking the remaining stone fragments from its fur.

"Actually we're here to stop someone whose been using this castle against those of Ossyria. We just need to try and get to the dungeon." Jenny replied, and she loaded her bow once again, just in case.

"Ah yes, I see. You lot are the long promised Guardians of Ossyria. Yes there has been a disturbing power that has settled over the Sharenian Ruins. However I cannot allow you through until you have proven your worth. Defeat these lost knights, and you shall have the right to pass into the dungeon." The Lion said as he sat down on his perch. The four statue's eyes lit up and began to move while a bluish black aura surrounded the statues as if it were a cloak. Helen stepped forwards and spread her arms wide, in which and large book appeared before her, turning pages until it stopped right in the middle. Helen then closed her eyes, setting her mana aside and bringing forward the crystal power.

"Spirit of Minerva, hear me now…" The four statues charged at her, but were stopped when they slammed into and invisible barrier surrounding Helen.

"…endow me with your light and empower my spell…" The knights pulled back and began to attack again, but were met with the same result. Light began to gather on each of Helen's hands while small wings of dazzling violet light began to grow on her back.

"…chase the demons that haunt my dreams and light my path that I walk in the night…" Matthew decided to give Helen some extra space, drawing his Sawtooth and running out in front of her while his sword shone with a brilliant sacred light, pushing the knights back with each swing.

"…And let me bless the ones I love in this sacred light!" As Helen finished her spell, her Wings of Light had grown twice their normal size, pulsing and humming with Amethyst crystal power while her eyes glowed purple and her hair looked as though violet water danced across her locks. Matthew managed to push the last of the knights together and then unlocked his sword, wrapping it around the knights to keep them in one place. Helen swung her arms to the front, holding her staff in the crook of her thumbs while her wing's glow intensified and then shot down hundreds of feathers at the knights, tearing aside the cloak of aura and cutting through the statues, making the ground erupt into a cloud of dust.

"Ah, you are indeed the promised ones. It is an honor to give these to you so that you may pass into the dungeon and stop the madness that had been going on here." The Lion said as two drawers from under his perch slid open. One drawer held a scroll, a gold maltase cross medal, a bottle of green liquid and a silver platter. In the other was an assortment of Royal clothes: a crown, coat, pants and shoes, all colored in a blood red.

"The items in the first drawer will take you into the passage leading you into the secret dungeon. The clothes must be taken with you in order to dress the statue of Sharen the Third. However one of you must give up the earrings you wear in order to break the seal on the door that leads into the dungeon."

"Where do we put these items to open this door?" Jack asked, picking up the bottle of liquid and looking at it.

"Behind me there is a tapestry. Behind that tapestry is door with compartments for each item. Only when you have put the items in the right order with the door open." The lion answered before looking ahead and becoming encased in stone once more. Kyrin and Mark picked up the items in the first drawer, while Shulynch and Jenny gathered the clothes. Once they pulled aside the tapestry, four holes in the wall were revealed to place the items. Kyrin put them all in one pattern, making the holes glow red for a moment. Kyrin took the items out and put them back in a different combination. This time three holes glowed red and one glowed green. As Kyrin was about to try the third combination, Lillianne happened to look back and see that rising out of the rubble of the stone statues were ghosts with clouded glowing eyes dressed in black, torn rags, two appearing for each incorrect combination.

"Um, Kyrin, I don't want to rush you or anything, but we really can't make too many more mistakes!" she whispered, pointing back to the wandering ghosts as two more appeared after the third wrong combination.

"Just be quiet and they won't notice us." Kyrin whispered, taking out the last two items and putting them back. All four slots glowed green and a portion of the door swiveled open. However the grinding noise of the door caught the attention of the ghosts as they began charging for them, reaching out their bony fingers. As fast as they could, the group filed through the door as Jack, Matthew and Lillianne began to push the heavy door closed, but the ghosts were coming at them faster than they could close the door. Helen propped her staff against the wall and then held out her hands as bright blue orbs appeared on the hall side of the wall, striking each of the ghosts with powerful bolts of lightning, blackening the ground where the ghosts had once been deterring them for a short while. Just as the ghosts were about to slip through the closing gap, the door closed, cutting off one of the ghost's arms that disappeared into a cloud of vapor.

"Man, this just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I'm glad that you guys are the ones who can fight these things. I'm just pitiful." Mark laughed until Jack slapped him on the back.

"Can it old man: it takes guts to come out here with us. You deserve at least that much." Mark laughed at himself as they walked through the hallway, illuminated by torches that were strangely well taken care of. After walking a short way they came to a statue that had been carved in the likeness of a man with the words "Our Great Leader, Sharen III" engraved onto the platform it stood on.

"So how exactly are we supposed to get these clothes on him?"Olsen asked, looking at the shoes when suddenly the clothes glowed and became nothing more than light, surrounding the statue within seconds and revealing the statue dressed.

"Oh, I guess that's how." Olsen joked, reaching up to his ears and pulling off the earrings, unexpectedly feeling as if gravity had tripled.

"Whoa! What in the world is this?" Olsen asked propping himself with his knees and placing the earrings at the feet of the statue which shot up to the ears, tearing down the seal that glowed over the doors leading into the dungeon.

"It must be because we are so close to the center of the Mana Drill. Getting closer to the center must mean the Mana draining effects will become stronger." Helen guessed as they walked into the dungeon. Each of the 13 cells each held bodies in them, but as they entered each of the first 12, they found that no one person was alive, some of them even beginning to rot. Mark walked up to the 13th cell which had a golden paper talisman above the door. He looked in through window and saw that a person was being held in mid air by a few chains, some holding his arms while other held his legs and waist. Mark was about to tell the others when the man inside opened his eyes and looked up at him. The whites of his eyes were pitch black which made his lime green eyes stand out even more than normal.

"Kyrin! There's one alive in here!" he called, making Kyrin come over and look inside the darkened cell. She could just make out the dark skin and the black, mouth framing goatee, the long black hair and the blue vest she knew so well.

"That's Muirhat! Quickly Helen get him outta there!"

"Not so fast." Came a grave and gravelly voice while the sound of a staff hitting the floor echoed throughout the dungeon. Olsen sighed and shook his head before turning around and hurling two stars in hot pink flames at him. Ergoth quickly disappeared for a moment as the stars slammed into the wall behind him.

"You've come here to defeat the mighty Ergoth? I've defeated hundreds; you are nothing!" Ergoth's voice said as a stone statue of an angry looking Winged Lions came to life and began to encircle the group.

"Let's make this quick! I'm going Overdrive!" Matthew called, quickly syncing up their mana making the shadows on their bodies glow in a dark golden color. Matthew and Helen charged ahead while Olsen and Jenny pushed the two stone statues back, releasing stars and arrows in a constant stream. Jack and Lillianne used the power they had been storing and slammed the beasts into the back wall: Jack with a powerful, castle shaking thunder punch while Lillianne swung around and thrust her halberd forward, making a beam of light hurl it into the wall. Matthew drew his Sawtooth, uncoupling the sections of sword and swinging hard to make the sections separate on a rubber band of mana towards the Lions. However one of them managed to correct itself and swatted away the blade, making it come careening back at Matthew who cut his mana flow to the sword and held up his cloak shield, deflecting the free sections of sword. Helen teleported past him in a thunderous strike, making the Lions flinch for a second before they found their paws frozen to the ground. Matthew restarted the mana flow to his sword, calling the sword pieces back to his handle and then charged at the lions, striking them time and time again as orbs formed around his wrist.

Matthew jumped into the air and absorbed the orbs around his wrist, just as Jenny's bomb arrow and Olsen's giant shuriken struck the lions between the eyes. Matthew landed in front of them as light blue dragon's wings appeared on his back and pushed him forwards as he swung so hard and fast that it only looked like a blur until he stopped and placed the Sawtooth on his back. For a moment nothing happened until bright green seals appeared in front of each lion and dark sparks of light igniting where the sword hit, leaving the lions in a pile of rubble.

"That's impressive. I will admit that I underestimated you, but I won't be so easy!" Ergoth called as he appeared behind Jenny, hitting her hard on her back and sent her flying. Olsen turned and grabbed his Duel Knife, disappearing for a moment before stopping, facing the opposite way just as the Mana Overdrive broke as Olsen ran out of mana, panting as the effects of the Overdrive took over.

"That was a valiant try, but it seems you've run out of mana. That will work in my favor since I have a fair amount stored myself!" Ergoth growled. Olsen replayed in his mind what had happened, seeing that he had missed Ergoth's body by a hair's breadth.

"You may have Mana to spare Ergoth, but they have something far more potent!" Kyrin shouted as she lunged at Ergoth, throwing punch after punch that was easily blocked by Ergoth with his staff.

"And what pray tell is this power?" Kryin somersaulted back, kicking Ergoth in the chin just as Lillianne came charging under her and hit Ergoth with a powerful swing that showered him in a wall of ice.

"THIS IS OUR POWER!" Jenny shouted as she drew her bow, Emerald power humming from the arrow she had fired, piercing through the wall of ice and hitting Ergoth in the shoulder. With a growl, Ergoth cast his own powerful fire spell, melting the ice that held him in place. Matthew drew his Spartan sword glowing blood red, swinging hard enough to make a sound wave tear through the ice wall and smash into Ergoth. He was just able to right himself just as Helen Teleported behind him; Ergoth swept her feet from under her, holding his hand to her as flames erupted in his palm. Helen cast an ice spell, raining down giant spears of ice to block the flames making him jump away so that he wouldn't be hit. She quickly stood and drew her Sacred Arrow, humming with Amethyst power, followed by her poison flame arrow, and again followed by her cold lightning arrow, each hitting Ergoth and pinning him to the wall.

Olsen became a blur as he shrieked around the room in a hot pink comet, hitting Ergoth time and again, cutting through his skin with each hit as the special poison on his knives began to take effect. On his last strike, he hit Ergoth with a storm of blows that tore his torso into shreds. Olsen then kicked off him as Jack came jumping through the air with his fist ignited with bright red threads of electricity, slamming into him just as the arrows Helen had fired dissipated. With a grunt, he back flipped and kicked Ergoth higher, but grabbed his leg and hurled him to the ground as his fist was lit up again with red lightning.

"CRASH HAWK SMASH!" Jack shouted as he first transformed his cloak into the hammer fists and then slammed into Ergoth on the ground, caving his chest and breaking his back in the same punch. Ergoth sputtered and coughed, trying to pick up his staff again, before he simply laid over in defeat. 'The Five' caught their breath for a moment before Helen teleported into the cell, broke the chains that held Muirhat in place and then teleported back out. Kyrin ran over to him and hugged him tightly, while Muirhat tried to raise his weak arms but was unable to do so.

"I knew dat you would com." Muirhat mumbled before collapsing onto Kyrin as something sounded like generators slowly wound down after being shut off.

"I hate to break up this happy reunion guys, but I think this castle's coming down." Matthew said looking up to the roof as the floor began to heave and shake, using his Sawtooth as a cane, panting from the over use of the Overdrive. Helen forced herself to calm her breathing and stood to her full height.

"I can get us to the top. The barrier of the castle has just begun to break so that Shanks should be able to come for us." Helen called as the others gathered around her while she began to recite the teleportation spell. Just as the first stone fell from the ceiling, the spell took hold and transported the group to the top spire just as the dimensional barrier began to break down looking like water draining from a glass dome. Shanks saw the tear and dove the ship through the hole, hovering at the side of the spire while everyone jumped aboard just as the top spire began to fall. Shanks pushed the throttle of the retro boosters to full super-cooled the levistones to make them rise quicker through the widening hole, and then put the ship into overdrive just as the castle erupted into a plume of dust and mana flames, the shockwave ripping through the mountains and leveling everything around it. A few moments later, Shanks disengaged the overdrive, but everyone was too busy tending to Muirhat to notice the castle. Slowly Kyrin put a few drops of Orange Peel potion into Muirhat's mouth, which brought him around quicker.

"Muirhat! You're ok!" Shulynch said, dropping to her knees and hugging him close. Kyrin stood as Mark came over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"At least you were able to save your ship mate." Kyrin smiled and sighed, leaning against Mark feeling a bit worn out from not being in the thick of battle for so long. Muirhat struggled to his feet with Shulynch's help, noticing how friendly Kyrin seemed to be to the man next to her.

"Captain, who is dis man here?" he asked with a slightly hostel tone.

"Muirhat, this is my husband Mark Waterman." Muirhat's eyes became angry and took his own weight, pushing Shulynch aside.

"You? You are da Captain's husband? You are noting more den a weak land dwella. How could ju possibly make da captain happy?" he asked, stepping closer to Mark and getting in his face.

"What do you know buddy? Obviously I made her happy enough for her to marry me. What is it to you?" Mark asked back. Kyrin tried to push the two of them apart, but Muirhat persisted, pulling Kyrin from between him and Mark.

"You weren't dare when we had to brave da hash watas of da sea, and you weren't dare to make sure dat she was always safe. If anyone, I should be da one who makes da captain happy! You have no right!"

"I have no right? I HAVE NO RIGHT?! WHO TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE THE ONE WHO HAD EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO HER? YOU ABANDONED HER WHEN SHE CAME TO MY WORLD!" Mark shouted back. Muirhat lost his control and lunged at him, pinning him to the deck and slugging him time and time again. Mark did his best to block and shield himself against him, but each punch that Muirhat threw broke his defense and his skin. Finally Kryin grabbed a hold of Muirhat and threw him back, pinning him to the deck and shoving the end of her pistol under his chin.

"What is wrong with you Muirhat?! This isn't like you at all!" Muirhat huffed and pushed her aside as he stormed below deck, leaving everyone stunned while Helen tended to Mark's bloody nose.

"I think I know what's wrong Sis..." Shulynch nervously peeped. Kyrin holstered her gun and looked to Shulynch, crossing her arms under her ample chest waiting for an explanation.

"There was a time where you and Muirhat pretended to be a couple so that Sharyl would leave you alone. Through that, I think that Muirhat didn't want it to end and make it become a real relationship rather than just a farce. The truth is sis, I've tried to get him to notice me, but without any success." Shulynch's face went completely red and turned around, not wanting anyone to see her. Kyrin could only chuckle and set a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, I'll go talk to Muihat to get him off my tail. Just be more certain of yourself Sis and he'll come around." Kyrin smiled, patting Shulynch's shoulder and walking below deck to find Muirhat.

* * *

The Mage clenched his fists hard enough that the paper-like skin on his hands creaked while his eyes flared a brighter red. Eleanor came in through the door, walking up to The Mage's chair with a heavy hip switch and a Grand Skelegon holding a platter with a goblet of Mana potion for The Mage.

"So Ergoth failed then. It's just as well; he was beginning to get under my skin." Eleanor smiled. Whispers hissed in the air, trembling slightly in his calm rage as The Mage inquired of the remaining Drills

"The Aquarious drill is still working at full capacity, as is Leafre and the Sleeping Wood. However Horntail has told us that he has seen signs of another Hydra near the Mine of the Dead." Eleanor reported as she grabbed the goblet of her mana potion and handed it to The Mage. He nodded, still fuming as he swallowed a mouthful of potion then uttering a wave of whispers.

"Right here Mi Lord." Dragon answered, kneeling to one knee before his master. The Mage nodded and held an orb of aura depicting Dragonoir out to him, turning to Eleanor who seemed the first to ready with an answer.

"Nothing has come up as of yet about Dragonoir. I've sent the wyvern out in search of him, but they have yet to turn up so much as a scale of his dragon servant Phoenix." The Mage nodded and stood, walking to the window overlooking Edelstein once again. His recent dealing with Oberon had left the ranks within the soldiers a bit chaotic as they vied for her position, leaving him slightly short handed since he had to deal with Eldan the way he did. Perhaps it was time to awaken his generals, preserved for all this time while he was sealed away. As he sipped on the potion, he caught sight of the galleon in the far off distance making its way back to Herb Town. The Mage's eyes glowed gently in anger, knowing that if he didn't need the power they wielded, he would have destroyed them long ago; they had earned another reprieve for the moment.

* * *

Checky walked into the ally with Abi at his side after hearing the bell ring, and recited the password, hearing the familiar voice of their informant repeat his part of the password.

"It's been a while man. I thought you got lost in there." Checky laughed.

"It been rough; I almost got caught a few times too. Anyway, I managed to find out that something has happened with Oberon. I don't know all the details, but she's been removed from the roster of soldiers. On top of that, I think that Dragon may be hiding something. I'm not sure what, but he was acting strange as of late. And just in this afternoon, The Guardians took down another of the Mana Drills." Checky shook his head; trying to remember everything he had just been told.

"Good work then. Get back there so you don't get caught." Checky urged while the sound of leather fluttering disappeared.

"So does he ever come out into the light?" Abi asked as she followed Checky, thinking about the man's voice and how familiar it sounded to her.

"No; we figured that it was best that we not know who our contact was. The only thing that we know for sure is that we received a letter one day saying that someone was on the inside and wanted to help us by acting as our informant. Ferdi met with him once to make sure that he was legit, and ever since then has been delivering information to us when he can get away safely." Abi nodded: the resistance was spread out a lot further then she realized. She could hardly wait for the day when she would be able to pilot one of the Gun Mecha that were under Checky's command, especially since she was helping build it!


	6. Chapter 5: Stepping Out

Chapter 5: Stepping Out, and Saying Goodbye

Antonia woke with a start: today was the day! She was so excited that she woke up before her alarm clock had even gone off, hurriedly dressing in her newly adjusted Black Lineroa she had received as a gift from Jenny for completing her training under Advance Master Rene. Time and again she would try to push her extremities through the proper holes only to get stuck and have to start again, losing patience as each minute ticked by. She quickly donned her quiver of bronze tipped arrows, tied the pure white bandana around her head and donned her Black Patriot hat as she ran out of her sleeping quarters where Aeris, Nathan and Auzzy were waiting for her.

"Dang girl! You take forever to get up!" Aeris said, instantly realizing how loud she had spoken and looked around, hopping she hadn't awakened anybody.

"Oh, hush. Your being here before I woke up is proof enough that you're just as excited as I am." Antonia laughed in a whisper as the four of them headed towards the mess area where Aran and Lilin were already waiting for them.

"I had a feeling you four would be up early. Unfortunately, the Tickets have yet to wake up, so for now I want you to read these." Aran handed to each of them a detailed list of creatures that lived within the lower levels of the Ludibrum Clock Tower, listing powers and possible weaknesses to each creature.

"You are going to need that knowledge if you are to be successful in your mission. You may be much more powerful then you were a few months ago, but there are creatures that live in the depths of Ludibrum even I fear." Aran warned as Lilin then brought over a platter with cups of warm cider and fresh buttered toast.

"But remember that you will also need to keep up your strength. Here is something to warm you until the morning meal is served. Even your teachers eat before embarking on their own journeys." Lilin said kindly when Matthew shuffled up to them, scratching his head through his thick, waist length hair and yawning so big it looked as if his mouth would split his head. He had put on his ice jeans, but in his half awakened state, had forgotten to grab a shirt, even though the fog hung think in the air and made it slightly chilly.

"Oh man, what are you guys doing up so early?" he asked, walking over to the well and dipping the ladle into the cold water.

"Don't you remember? It's our first solo mission." Nathan replied, picking up his spear and resting it across his shoulders.

"Oh right. I forgot that was today. So how do you feel?" Matthew asked, while Aeris and Antonia watched him for a bit, whispering between themselves and admiring Matthew's chiseled body.

"A bit nervous actually." Matthew nodded and placed a hand on the Mithril Platine armor he had passed on to him.

"Just remember to try to stay calm, and only use everything you've got when you're sure that you'll have a break afterwards. And watch their backs: Auzzy and Antonia need distance in order for their attacks to be useful, so keep them as far away as you can." He advised, before gently punching his chest then walking back to his sleeping quarters to get the rest of the way dressed. Two hours later, the four students had loaded up into the Ticket's ship and were heading for Ludibrum, waving and calling out their goodbyes to their teachers.

"So how are we going in? Fast and hard? Or all sneaky-like?" Aeris asked, pointing her inherited Abyss Revolver in different directions as though facing the enemies already.

"Well, First things first: we need to see king Alishar before we do ANYTHING. I want to know if there's something we should know before charging right in. If charged in we might not come back." Auzzy suggested as the rest of them agreed, still shaking with adrenaline fueled anticipation: they would make their teachers proud!

* * *

An ominous glow arose over the Leafre forest, making Chief Tatamo dreadfully worried since the center of the glow appeared to be coming from the borderline of the Dragon's Nest and the Forest. A very sacred place where Saia, The Nine Spirits Dragon, resided to amplify her powers and keep the Leafre Forest safe from the rancid mana that still permeated the land after Horn Tail had tainted the Cave of Life. However that was becoming increasingly difficult for Saia since she was trapped within Ledron for so long and the barrier had weakened considerably. Tatamo had managed to keep the barrier from collapsing completely in Saia's absence, and now that she was back the Barrier seemed to be holding the rancid mana at bay. But this new presence, this new threat that was emanating from the same area as Saia's Meditation Grounds worried him; it was evil.

"Yaku, you are good friends with Saia right?" Tatamo asked, stroking his long mustache braids. Yaku nodded as she polished an earth dragon's egg to a jade-like shine.

"I need you to go to Saia's Meditation Grounds to see…" A painful howl split the air as something crashed into the middle of the Hafrings town, tossing dust and dirt into the air while breaking numerous branches from the tree tops. Immediately all of the Hafrings began to come out of their houses and incubating stations to see what it was that had crashed through their town. Tatamo's eyes went wide from under his thick eyebrows when he saw Saia slumped on the ground: part of her scales and fur were burning, scales had been torn off or were burnt while some of the flesh in her wings was punctured or torn and blood stained her lips as well as some of her pearl white scales.

"Sly, get the herbs! Max, we need water to put out those fires! Ito, Kumo; look her over to see if she has any other wounds!" Tatamo ordered as he hobbled as fast as he could over to her seeing cuts and slashes in her soft underbelly, touching a gentle hand to the side of her muzzle. With a start she opened her lavender eyes and barred her teeth as she turned to Tatamo ready to fight until she saw that it was a friend and relaxed.

"Tatamo; am I glad to see you. Dragonoir is in the Meditation Grounds and trying to use it to gain power. I tried to fight him, but he managed to overpower me. I'm so sorry Tatamo; because of my inability the barrier may collapse." Tatamo shook his head and brushed aside the fur on her head as Max patted out her burning fur.

"You did all that you could Saia. Rest easy, we must send for the Guardians!"

* * *

'The Six', as they were now known since Lillianne was considered to be a part of them, slowly made their way into the mess area, talking over their previous battle, telling the kids that always gathered around them about their adventures while the children all sat quietly, listening in awe.

"…And it was just about that time that I knew what it was that I had to do." Olsen said as the kids inched closer to him in anticipation until Dances with Balrog walked over to the table.

"Alright youngsters: The story will have to wait for another time, these six have some important business to attend to." Disappointedly the kids whined, getting up and saying their goodbyes as they returned to their chores.

"Good timing Dances; I don't know how many times I've the story of my crystal power being released." Dances nodded just when a pulsing wind blew through the mess area as Mir and Evan landed.

"You may want to hear this too Evan." Dances said as Mir transformed into her human form and sat down next to Evan, reaching for a peach and cutting it into slices with a swipe of her claws.

"Crane had been on an errand for me to Leafre and came back with a message for you Guardians from Chief Tatamo. Saia was attacked by Dragonoir in her Meditation Grounds to keep the Barrier of the Leafre Forest intact. Nothing is known about what it is he wants with it, but if the barrier collapses, the rancid mana coming from the tainted Cave of Life will permeate the forest and kill off everything there with a slow and painful death. He has asked that you get Dragonoir away from the Meditation Grounds by any means necessary."

"Does the message say how long the barrier will hold for?" Olsen asked, lacing his fingers together and resting his nose on them.

"No, but Crane told me that Tatamo said that it won't be for long, especially since the amount of rancid mana seems to have increased." Dances replied as Olsen thought of why Draongoir had taken such a vital spot in Ossyria.

"Helen, what do you make of it?" Olsen asked, turning his eyes towards her with a serious light in them.

"In our dealings of the past, he has always spoken of how he would conquer the Black Mage and take his place. If what I understand about the Meditation Grounds is correct, the pure atmosphere amplifies Saia's barrier abilities. Perhaps Dragonoir is trying to find a way to amplify Phoenix's powers which in turn will enhance his own." Mir shook her against Helen's explaination and leaned against Evan slightly.

"That could be very problematic for us. Master Evan and I barely have enough power to match his as it stands now." Evan nodded in agreement, placing a hand on her head and looking up to the skies.

"I knew that trying to rid his body of the Black Magic aura was going to be difficult. I want to save my brother from himself if it is possible." Dances sighed and gripped his shoulder understandingly.

"I understand how you feel; I too lost someone very close to me to dark powers. But whatever the case may be, we must get Dragonoir to vacate the Meditation Grounds before the barrier collapses." All of them nodded to Dances words, quickly finishing their meal and changing into their battle armaments, meeting back at the dock to board _Queen's Wing_. Just before she boarded, Helen stopped and looked down at the gang plank.

"Helen? What's wrong?" Jack asked as he came back down to meet her on the dock.

"For a long while, I have wanted to return to Ariant and see for myself how the village is fairing since the defeat of their queen." Jack was about to respond when Grendal happened to pass by and hear Helen's desire.

"I don't think there will be any trouble if you were to do such a thing Helen. Besides, all of you have grown quite a bit in power, so I doubt that they'll miss one of you going somewhere else." Jack nodded and put an understanding hand on her bare shoulder.

"Besides, I think there's a time coming when we all will be pulled in different directions and won't be able to rely on each other. Go ahead, I'll tell the others where you went." Jack urged. Helen smiled before putting her arms around Jack and kissing him on the cheek.

"Jack! What's the hold up? Are you coming or what?" Olsen called impatiently. Jack ran back up the gangplank as Helen waved her goodbye and went to find Oz, finding her meditating near the outskirts of the village. She tried to remain as quiet as she could when Oz opened her eyes and looked over to her.

"Oh, Helen! I thought that was you. Why didn't you go with the others to Leafre?" Helen looked to her Staff of Dume, thumbing the edge of the short blade on the top before sitting down next to Oz.

"I am curious to know if you would accompany me into Ariant. It has been on my heart to return and see how they villagers are fairing now that the king is back in power." Oz smiled warmly and jumped to her feet, scooping up her staff and throwing on her cloak.

"Then let's get going! I'm sure that we'll be fine on our own. Besides, we're two highly trained mages!" Oz said excitedly as she and Helen performed their long range teleportation spell and disappeared in a wink of light.

* * *

Quickly the four students walked through Ludibrum to get to King Alishar's throne room, each of them feeling more and more excited as they neared the palace. Antonia felt apprehensive since the last time that she had come here was when all of her closest of friends had been killed after the Black Mage's release. Once presented to Alishar, he showed them a diagram.

"As you know, the Chronos have been running rampant throughout the clock tower and toy factory. What I need you to do is find out why they are causing so much trouble. This level is where they seem to be most concentrated, near the clockworks of the tower between the Paths of Time and the Toy Factory. During your investigation, should you find Grandfather Clockwerx, please help him in any way that you can. He is the one responsible for making sure the Clock runs on time." Once they were given their orders, the four of them headed for the clock tower and began their decent. Antonia stopped at the entrance as nightmarish memories came flooding back to her: the noises, the sights, and the fear began to overwhelm her until Aeris called to her.

"Hey Antone, are you alright? You're as white as a sheet of paper." The others came back as well, trying to comfort her fears the best they knew how. Antonia sighed a ragged breath and told them of what had happened before she was Jenny's apprentice. Nathan nodded understandingly and set the butt of his spear on the ground.

"Listen, you're not going to see anything like that happen again, I promise." It made her smile but somehow, Antonia just couldn't bring herself to take comfort in the words that Nathan had said. Sure she knew that each of them had seen troubles of their own, but it still didn't calm the agitated butterflies in her stomach.

"Come on, you won't go alone." Aeris said as she took her hand and walked into the inky, musty corridor. Antonia did what she could to stay calm, but every little thing bothered her making her see Aeris, Nathan and Auzzy be replaced by her boyfriend and two friends. She shut her eyes, trying to rid herself of those horrible memories while they descended until coming to the clockworks. Giant gears and levers clinked and clanked in a heartbeat-like rhythm, clutches whirred and chains clinked with each movement.

"Alright; Aeris, you go with Antonia. Look everywhere and see what you can see. Nathan, you go one more level down; see if there's anything out of the ordinary. I'm going to go opposite the girls. Meet back here in 30 minutes." Auzzy commanded. Nathan slung the spear over his shoulder with a leather strap and began his decent, looking around every corner to find something, anything that would give a clue as to what it was that may have caused the uprising. Auzzy quickly and quietly ran through his section, periodically finding strange blue boxes with small antennas on them. The girls came across some rather strange looking crystalline flakes scattered periodically on the floor, while Auzzy found more and more boxes strewn around with antennas. Nathan managed to find a few cogs strewn around on the floor, some of them looking as though they had been pried loose. But the gears above his head in the clockworks were many times larger, so it couldn't have been from above them. Once their search time was over, they all quickly regrouped.

"Something doesn't feel right." Auzzy started, looking around them as if he were paranoid.

"Is it just me or are any of you getting the feeling that we're being watched?" Aeris asked as she too began looking around.

"You too? I thought I was the only one who was getting that feeling." Nathan looked back over his shoulder, and stood as still as he could, hushing the others and reaching for his spear. He held it parallel to the ground in front of him in one hand, while holding two fingers up with the other between his face and the spear.

"Spirits of the ancient dragons, give me wisdom and strength to face mine enemies." He mumbled quietly. A circle of ancient letters drew itself on his forehead encircling two dragons chasing each other while a "y" shaped symbol appeared at the very center. With his new found strength, Nathan stood with a wider stance and pointed his spear forward, watching the shadows around them. Aeris slowly drew her pistol and cocked the hammer back while Auzzy flicked his wrist, catching three kunai between his fingers. Antonia fought off her fear and took the bow from her shoulders, drawing a single arrow as quietly as she could. Tense moments stretched out into eternity as the four of them waited and watched their surroundings, almost able to feel the eyes watching them. Something moved to the right of Antonia, making her draw her bow and fire a powerful arrow into the dark which sounded as if it had been caught in a machine. For a moment, horrible scraping noises echoed through the halls until something flopped to the ground. Silent seconds ticked by until the shadows around them were ignited into a violet light of clock faces, the hands meeting at 12:00 to reveal them being surrounded by Master Chronos.

"I knew it." Auzzy grumbled, charging forwards and hurling his kunai at the clock faces. Nathan spun around, swinging his spear so hard that the air split with a thunderous roar as he unleashed his newly taught Dragon's Fury, shoving a good portion of them to the sides. Aeris cracked off rounds from her pistol, then compressed her mana into grenade and tossed it into a group, then reloaded her pistol which erupted into a blast of subzero air. Auzzy gathered his mana and then forced it into one of his Kunai which quickly became three times its size with menacing serrated edges. With a effort filled grunt, he hurled the huge knife through four of the chronos before it again shrank down to its original size, jumping back just as the Time Spells were cast at him. Antonia shot her Mortal Arrows time and time again, holding them in her bow just long enough to gather the needed mana before they burned through their targets, trying not to think. Unfortunately the more she fired the more she began seeing the huge creatures that lingered in the deepest parts of the clock tower: clocks on legs that growled as though they had salivating mouths, or torn up teddy bears with spirits tied to them, or even further down, the ominous Death Masters and Grim Time Keepers. The sights began to cloud her vision, making her shake so much that she just collapsed to the ground, unable to stand. Nathan noticed her weakened state and ran to help her, trying to shake her out of her trance but no matter what he did, she wouldn't respond.

"Cover your ears guys; we need to get outta here!" Nathan shouted, driving the tip of his spear to the ground while a loud Dragon's Roar erupted above the noises of battle and forced away all the Chronos around them. Once the Chronos had recovered they began looking at each other, clicking invisible tongues to each other as though speaking before beginning to search for the would-be heroes. Silently the four of them hid a floor above the searching creatures, trying to shake Antonia out of her daze while compiling what it was they had found.

"Something is seriously wrong here. Did you notice how they just attacked without trying to avoid one another?" Nathan asked as he watched the "door" of their hide out.

"I think someone's controlling them. Everywhere I looked I kept finding these little blue boxes with antennas on them. I looked inside one of them and found what looked to be a like a little computer." Auzzy replied, looking worriedly back to Antonia who still wouldn't respond.

"Atone and I found these weird crystal flakes everywhere: It gave me the creeps when I tried to pick one up." Aeris said, hugging Antonia close to try and get her to stop from shaking.

"That sounds like a pretty good theory. I found these all over the place where I was." Nathan reached into his pauldron and pulled out a small cog set.

"This is it? They're just gears." Auzzy agued disappointedly once he had taken them from Nathan.

"Look closer; they've been pried out of something. See all the scratch marks? There are even a few missing teeth on one of those gears." Auzzy took a closer look, finding the marks and missing teeth just as Nathan had said.

"Now if we could only get Antonia to wake up we could probably go look for this Grandfather Clockwerx. Maybe he knows a thing or two about the Chronos."

"But Alishar said to help him if we found him while investigating." Argued Aeris. Nathan chuckled under his breath.

"We _are_ investigating, and I think that he knows something." Nathan shot back. Forty minutes of asking, pleading and waiting later, they managed to bring Antonia out of her frightened coma. Her fears of the lower levels of the Clock Tower had traumatized her to the point where she wondered if she would ever get over them. Aeris suggested that she stay behind for the moment while Nathan and Auzzy went ahead and searched for Clockwerx. On they searched until they came across a short man on a tall ladder who seemed to be oiling a set of gears in the ceiling. His face was slightly ashen with golden mustache. He wore an ear covering purple beanie with, and oil stained jacket and grayish blue jeans. Nathan and Auzzy stayed out of sight as much as they could until a carless step on Nathan's part made him accidently kick a box of parts.

"Who's there?" the man called, putting down his oil can and climbing down the ladder that he stood on while Auzzy and Nate came out of the shadows.

"We come under the request of Alishar; I'm Nathan, and this is my friend Auzzy. We were asked to find out anything pertaining to this uprising of the Chronos." Auzzy answered, his hand twitching on the guard of his dagger. The man nodded and relaxed, putting the large wrench back into his tool box.

"Ah, yes; that is troublesome. I'm Grandfather Clockwerx, the maintenance man of the clock in Ludibrum. You can set anything by the clock. The farthest that this clock has ever been off was three one-thousandths of a microsecond, and that was a nightmare trying to fix, I'll tell you that much." Auzzy and Nathan looked at each other for a moment, each of them raising their eyebrows in a bit of confusion before continuing on while Clockwerx climbed his ladder again to tighten a set of bolts.

"Do you happen to know what it is that is causing this uprising?" Nathan asked as Clockwerx grunted to tighten a bolt.

"Not really. But in order to understand the uprising, you have to understand the Chronos. The Master, Platoon and Chronos are not actually living creatures. They could be more closely related to ghost machines with cogs and springs as their innards. They were built when the Time Sphere itself was created by Minerva and Corus to help the flow of time in Ossyria remain constant and unaffected by using Time Magic." Clockwerx wiped off the oil from a another bolt and began to loosen it slightly

"I thought only living creatures had the ability to perform magic." Auzzy interjected.

"That is a very good point young man, one of many mysteries that have yet to be solved. However, their duty was to make sure that time didn't fall out of alignment. And so when any small distortion happened, it was the duty of the Chronos to find, patch and reset small amounts of time. The Platoon Chronos were used to fix larger problems such as rifts or loops, and the Master Chonos were used to fix the largest of problems such as tears in space time. Their Time Magic allowed them to stop, cut out, rewind and reset time so that everything ran smoothly. Unfortunately the Chronos can easily have their purpose changed with just the changing of a gear set. Lately I've been seeing more and more of them emanating some strange aura from their bodies, acting stranger than usual." Auzzy nodded his thanks, telling the old man to be careful as they went back to the girls.

"So I guess you were right Auz, they are being controlled by someone. But it doesn't seem like it's that old man." Nathan pondered as they walked.

"You can never be too sure. Everyone's suspect until the real culprit is…" Auzzy was cut short when he was dragged behind a statue of blocks.

"What's your problem?" Auzzy hissed until Nathan forcefully put a finger to his lips, then pointed as though he were looking around the statue. Peering out from behind the statue, Auzzy's eyes went wide when he saw a hoard of Chronos in the area, each of them having that strange black aura Clockwerx had told them about, Nathan hissing his plan to Auzzy

"I'll go in and try to get them away from the girls using my shockwave. See if you can take out a few of them with your kunai after that to give the girls a chance to get out of there." Nathan whispered as he readied his spear. But before any of them could act, a blaze of red hot flames poured down on the Chonos, melting away the cloak like fabric around their mechanical bodies. From above them, Aeris could be seen hanging onto a girder reloading her pistol, calling out to them.

"Well? Are you two just going to stand there or do I have to do this all myself?" she asked with smirk. Auzzy grinned as wings appeared on his feet, disappearing into the winds and hurling kunai into each of the Chronos's bodies where they bounced and ground between cogs until they just shook to a stop and fell over. Nathan cast his Dragon's Blessing spell again before running out and swinging his spear hard, making a shockwave rip through the weakened Chronos like they were made of paper. Bright blue wings spouted on his back, propelling him forwards until he was within striking range. In a blur, Nathan stabbed through three Chronos, tearing their inner clock works apart before they exploded. Aeirs's Abyss Revolver thundered off round after round, tearing through the gears and bodies of the Chronos with ease. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a six sided dice, thumbed it into the air before snatching it and looking at the number.

"Alright, a two: this ought to be a whole lot more fun than I thought!" she shouted as her body began to glow a faint blue color as mana seeped into her skin to make it tougher. Auzzy darted from place to place in nothing more than a blur of color, throwing countless Kunai into each of the Chronos as they tried to solidify and fire their time spells. With a quick motion, Auzzy cut his hand and reached into a small pouch of bronze coins that he had, grinding them around to cover them in his blood before hurling them down where they exploded. Pieces of coin weaved their way into the cogs of the Chronos, freezing the gears just enough to give Auzzy the window he needed to eradicate them. It seemed like they were about to win their battle with the Master Chronos: everywhere they looked there were fewer and fewer of them to impede their progress. But a carless maneuver on Nathan's part found him pinned to the floor by a group of Chronos. Auzzy and Aeris tried to get to him, peeling away the Chronos that were holding him down, but in their haste to free him didn't notice the Platoon Chronos sneaking up behind them, quickly pinned to the floor themselves.

"What on earth are you doing to my soldiers!" shouted a voice. Auzzy Struggled to turn his head under the Chronos weight to see Clockwerx standing over him. Nathan too struggled to turn his head, looking the greasy man in the eyes.

"You! What are you doing here?" Nathan demanded. Clockwerx snorted angrily, motioning for the Chronos to pick him up.

"For too long I have been at the mercy of that overweight bastard Alishar. Making sure that the clock here is always on time, changing gears, oiling cogs, aligning drive shafts, reweighting the springs; it's all led up to nothing! You would think that after 1400 years of service that I would at least be allowed to oversee more than just these cogs! Well my waiting has finally paid off and I have learned how to control these Chronos with just a thought!" Aeris grit her teeth, struggling to form a grenade in her hand, but the weight of the Platoon holding her arms down pinched off the flow of mana to her hands.

"Do you know what kind of repercussions that could have on Ossyria? They might not even be repairable!" Aeris growled as she struggled to find a way to free her arms. Clockwerx purposefully walked over to her and bent over, putting his hands behind his back and speaking with the most condescending of tones.

"That is where you are wrong. I have done my research on the Time Sphere, and the problems that these Chronos were created for don't exist anymore! With the Chronos at my side, the underlings of Alishar himself, I will dethrone him and take my rightful place as king of Ludibrum!" As he spoke, he proudly walked around in front of the three of them, spreading his arms as though to show how worthy he was of the throne.

"AND YOU THREE ARE DOING NOTHING BUT JUMBLING IT UP FOR ME!" Clockwerx thundered, pointing back at them with fire in his eyes. Reaching up to his mustache, he twisted the end of it and turned back around.

"Kill them, they are of no use to us." He commanded as he walked away and the Chronos forcefully lined them up on the ground holding them with all of their body weight. From their hiding spot, Antonia sat shivering in fear. Even though she was fully awake, she felt like she was having nightmares about Paris, her dead poisonous flame boyfriend, and how the Viking Spirits had torn the side of his body open with one of their powerful attack spells. Shakily she looked up to see her friends pinned to the ground by the Chronos, suddenly seeing Paris's kind and courageous face take the place of Auzzy's.

"no…" slowly a Master Chronos hovered over to them as it began to solidify a Time Spell, violet light emanating from the gears and creating small clocks around it, while the main face of the clock began to separate.

"No…" Antonia watch in horror as the Chronos in her own vision became that of the huge Viking Spirit hovering up to them and aiming its powerful magic cannon down to Paris, glowing brighter as the spell was cast.

"No, not again! NEVER AGAIN!" Antonia shouted as a blast of mana shot straight up from her body, blowing aside the blocks she was using as a shelter. The Chronos turned to see what it was that had happened when a thick wall of arrows rained down onto them, tearing through the machines or pinning them to the floor. Antonia swung her bow hard, making one of them shoot back and bowled through the Chronos holding her friends down before drawing her bow and releasing a huge Spine Arrow, pinning six of them to the wall. Again and again she combined the brute force of her Force Arrow with the sheer sharpness of her Spine Arrow, obliterating the Chronos that were around them by the hundreds. She jumped high into the air and drew her Bomb Arrow, firing it into a large group of Chronos as they readied their Time Spells, blasting them to pieces. Again she drew her bow and aimed for the air, raining down a hailstorm of arrows once again onto the remaining Chronos, shaking and shuddering as they tried to empower their time spells, but instead fell to scrap. As soon as the Chronos were gone, Antonia collapsed to her knees and dropped her bow, panting hard since such a violent volley of attacks left her mana dry. Aeris quickly shouldered the dead Chronos from off her back and ran over to her, reaching into her knapsack and pulling out a small bottle of Orange Peel potion, putting a few drops into Antonia's mouth.

"Wow, I didn't know you had that much power Antonia." Auzzy grunted as he squirmed out from under the pile of Chronos he had been buried under.

"I just… I didn't want to lose my friends again. I lost them once down here and I didn't want to have to go through that again." She huffed when Grandfather Clockwerx walked up to them with rage in his eyes and a huge one inch wrench in his hands.

"You destroyed all of my soldiers! How could you! Even knowing what I have been through!?" he shrieked, raising the wrench in his hand.

"You don't deserve to be king if you are willing to stoop to this." Nathan shouted in return.

"That is of no consequence! All I have to do is make more of the Black Crystal gears and replace them just like Papulatus taught me! And then I will be able to amass a new army of Chronos under my com…" A hissing shriek pierced the darkness that surrounded them as a white and yellow comet screamed towards Clockwerx making him freeze and then turned to dust, blowing away as a creature hovered into the light while making an ethereal growl. At first it appeared be a torn teddy bear suspended in mid air, part of its head replaced with a silvery fabric that was crudely sewn together. However as the creature hovered further into the light, something much more sinister appeared behind it: two bony hands were held on either side of the bear, each with a glowing symbol in the palm. Above the bear were its glowing blue eyes, over which was a torn and ragged sack cloth robe. The second creature moved its fingers while the Teddy Bear went over to the small pile of dust that remained of Clockwerx, and pulled out a yellow piece of wax paper with red symbols painted on it. Moving its fingers again, the bear then stuck the charm back on its chest, turned and floated back into the darkness with the same ethereal growl.

"What in Ossyria was that?" Nathan asked once his shivering had managed to calm itself enough.

"That was a Teddy of Death, one of the most fearsome creatures of the lowest levels in the Clock Tower." Antonia responded, helping the others to their feet.

"Come on, we need to report back to Alishar what we found."

* * *

The trip to Leafre was uneventful; the information they were able to get from Tatamo and the healing Saia still left them in the dark to the reason for Dragonoir wanting to take the Meditation Grounds.

"I still think Helen's guess about him wanting to amplify Phoenix's power is the best bet."

"I think she's right too Jack. The only other reason that Dragonoir would want to take the grounds is to… oh no." Evan looked over at Mir when she stopped in mid sentence, staring up at the sky.

"Mir? What's wrong?" Mir stumbled a bit as she suddenly realized and then began to feel what it was that Dragonoir was up to. The others surrounded Evan when Mir collapsed into his arms.

"I know what it is he's trying to do." Mir whimpered, burying her face in Evan's chest as he too soon realized what it was that Dragonoir was trying to do.

"What? What is Dragonoir going to try and do?" Lillianne asked impatiently while Alden walked up to Evan and nuzzled Mir gently as if he too understood her pain.

"Dragonoir is going to commit the ultimate sin against dragon-kind: He's going to turn him into a demon." Evan replied sadly.

"I don't get it; the Mediation Grounds are a holy place. He shouldn't be able to do that." Olsen pointed out, severely confused.

"You're wrong Olsen. It doesn't matter if the ground on which the ritual is going to be performed on is sacred or cursed; it just needs to be a place of highly concentrated spirit energy. Every dragon, whether they are friendly like Shinsoo and Saia, or evil such as the hyrda Zakuhm or Horn Tail, can feel a connection with the next. But when one of them becomes or is forced to become a demon they can no longer allow such a dragon to exist. It's like having to kill your own brother or sister because they are a part of the Black Mage's armies. Once a dragon becomes a demon, their heart and power become nothing more than a raging inferno, hell bent on one thing: destruction without discernment. Even Horn Tail in his hunger to dominate the mana of Ossyria would never commit such an atrocity. In Dragonoir's case, it's even worse since the two of them are bound together: it will affect Dragonoir as well, and once the ritual has been completed, saving him will become impossible." Evan looked down to Mir and hugged her close. Matthew sighed heavily, the muscles in his jaw flexing as he clenched his teeth.

"Then we'll just have to get to him before that happens!" he growled, clenching his fist hard enough that the metal of his gauntlet clanked. Firmly he put his helmet back on, then offered his hand to Mir and Evan.

"We'll do all we can to save them both." He reassured as the two of them stood and sadly followed after the rest, hoping against all odds that they would arrive in time as the Guardians began to run while Evan took to the skies with Mir.

* * *

Dragonoir threw his stick aside after finishing the last letter of the hex etched into the dirt as Phoenix stirred in his armored human form after being knocked unconscious while he had slept. When he opened his eyes and looked at the ground around him, he instantly knew what it was that Dragonoir was planning and began to try to struggle free from the stake.

"Master, is this really what must be done?" Maya asked with a tone of concern in her voice. Dragonoir looked back at her hard, his eyes wide with insanity and fury. He had found out what Phoenix had done for her after she had been hit with a poisonous arrow from Helen, and ever since then had been stewing in rage that his word of leaving her had been ignored.

"I've trained with Phoenix for more years than you've been alive and yet Evan is still able to best me! It's time that I do what is necessary and take what is rightfully mine! You dare ask me such a question after you let yourself be stricken with a poison arrow by that wench Helen?" he growled, turning back to the hex, clenching his hand so that his knuckles popped as Maya supplicated for Phoenix.

"I admit, my not being able to heal myself on my own was regrettable, but you needn't punish noble Phoenix this way."

"PUNISHMENT?! You think this is punishment? I will ascend beyond the Black Mage by any means required!" Dragonoir shouted, when a new voice filled his ears.

"Master Please! I have served you faithfully all these years, even when your dabbling in Black Magic transformed me into what I am, but I beg of you do not make me lose _who_ I am!" Phoenix pleaded while he still tried to break free of the ropes holding him. Dragonoir walked up to Phoenix and back handed him hard enough that his neck cracked.

"SILENCE! I am your master and you _WILL_ do as you are told!" he thundered, walking back to the edge of the hex, holding out his hand about to initiate the ritual.

"No he won't Utah!" Evan shouted as Mir landed hard on the ground, scuffing the hex as her claws sliced through the ropes holding Phoenix.

"Is this what you resort to now Evan! Every step of my life you have been there to tear my life apart! Why not give me this _ONE_ thing!" he asked as Phoenix transformed into his dragon form.

"Because he wants his brother back!" Matthew thundered, stepping into the clearing and drawing his Sawtooth just as the others stepped into the clearing. Maya backed away from Dragonoir until she tripped and fell down, unable to take her eyes from her master.

"Y… you… You're Utah? No that can't be, you can't be Utah! Utah was a caring, strong hearted person. He was nothing like you!" Dragonoir growled as he turned to face her.

"That was the reason I became what I am! Evan stole everything from me: Our Family, our home, even the love and affection of the Ossyrian people!" Maya shook her head as she continued to back away from Dragonoir until she managed to feel the boot of Jack, clinging to his leg.

"What about my older sister Camila! If ever there was a person who cared for you more than her own life it was her! Do you know how long she cried for you after she was told that you were dead?" Maya shouted as Jack helped her to her feet. Dragonoir clenched his hands even harder, his whole body shaking in rage.

"ENOUGH!" Dragonoir thrust his hand forwards at which Phoenix responded back with a blast of flames, making Olsen jump in front of the group and pull his cloak up to guard them all from the inferno.

"You may think that this was my hex on the ground; I was never going to use that hex! THIS IS THE TRUE HEX!" he screamed, showing his palm to the group before slamming his hand down on the ground. Evan leapt from Mir's shoulders, casting a powerful ice spell in which Mir responded, firing a swirl of icy air at him. Sadly the hex was already beginning to work, casting aside the ice because of an invisible wall while Phoenix raised his head to the skies and cried out. Mir too cried out as tears formed in her eyes, wanting to help her brethren dragon, but knew that there was nothing that she could do except watch. Slowly Phoenix's eyes began to become cold and menacing while his teeth became serrated. Spines sprouted down the center of his head, neck and back, dripping with venom that ran down the flesh between. His scales became black and his once majestic wings disappeared as they were replaced with wings made of pure fire. Dragonoir too began to change as spines grew from his back through his cloak, while bony pauldrons appeared on his shoulders. Jack had to run to the front, slamming his Hammer Fist into the ground, pushing up a slab of earth and protect them from the explosion that could be felt coming on by the thick static in the air. Once the dust had settled and the hex stopped glowing, Phoenix let out a growling breath as a plume of aura escaped his mouth like smoke. Atop his shoulders, Dragonoir sounded as if her were giving commands, but they only sounded as if he were growling and screeching.

Jack grit his teeth and ran for him, pulling back his fist as far as he could, opening his Mana gates, pushing him into his Hyper form. Phoenix turned to face him just as Jack hurled a fist at him; Jenny, Olsen and Lillianne quickly flanked him while the dragon's attention was on Jack who was about to make contact, when Phoenix clamped his jaws around Jack's fist. He then turned to face the others while taking a deep breath and firing Jack at them with a blast of flames. Matthew unlocked the sections in his sword and swung hard, wrapping it around Phoenix's neck and pulling himself in, drawing his Spartan aiming for Phoenix's heart. Just as he was about to strike, he felt as if her were moving at only a fraction of his normal speed, when Phoenix turned and flung him into a rock with his tail. Jenny picked up her bow and stabbed it into the ground were a scarecrow appeared from a cloud of mana; from behind that she began drawing her Spine Arrows. Jack shook of his dizziness and reopened his Mana gates, pushing past the torn flesh on his arm and slugging the ground where a shockwave tore through the ground making Phoenix have to take to the skies.

Lillianne appeared above them as a huge cloud of mana emanated from her body to create a huge double axe. Once it had solidified, Dragonoir hauled on the chains to aim Phoenix at it, but was too late as the giant axe drove them both into the ground and froze them in a block of ice. Matthew managed to regain his bearings, igniting the Sawtooth with hot flames, attacking the block of ice time and time again, cutting into Phoenix's frozen flesh with each swing while charging his Warrior's Overcharge and then absorbing them. Jenny stood on a branch holding her bow tight, transforming into a giant bow of light while winds howled around the arrow she had drawn. Jack's fists glowed with red lightning, absorbing the sphere of energy that had surrounded him in the preceding seconds. Olsen drew his dagger and the spare Kunai on his belt, holding them high in the air as mana flared from the blades like flames before driving them down into the earth: chained blades appeared from the ground under Phoenix and Dragonoir tossing them into the air. Jack ran under them and faced a palm and his gun up at them, first hitting them with a powerful beam of energy and then hitting them with a blast of icy air from his frozen pistol before rolling out of the way. while still in the air, Lillianne swung down as hard as she could as a wall of wolves appeared from her swing, pushing Phoenix back into the ground where Matthew had been waiting.

"I'm sorry, but this ends here!" he growled, swinging wide. The Flames fluttered and tore through the air as the teeth of his sword hit the ice, shattering it away from Phoenix then biting into his skin. A bright green seal appeared at the contact point before enveloping the sword in a dark aura, hurling the sword through the dragon's tough flesh which hurled them back to the ground. For a moment, all signs of life were silent until Phoenix's claws smashed into the ground from the cloud of dust, making everyone lose their balance. Dragonoir hauled on the reigns as they took to the skies with something bright sitting on Phoenix's tongue. Jenny was about to draw an Emerald Wind arrow when Evan reached up and stopped her.

"No Jenny, this is my burden to bear, not yours." Jenny looked back to see Evan's reddened eyes, and the damp scales around Mir's as they took to the skies themselves.

"UTAH! I WISH THAT I COULD SAVE YOU, BUT YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE!" Phoenix and Dragonoir both responded back with a roar, launching the two of them into each other. Flashes of light and peels of thunder rolled through the valley as the two dragon riders slammed into one another. Ice and flames filled the skies, striking their riders and burning the dragon's scales with each horrendous attack. Mir clamped her jaws around Phoenix's neck, clawing and tearing at his heart while Dragonoir and Evan cast spells at each other directly until Phoenix swung his hand at Mir, splitting her skin with ease on her underbelly, then swatted her to the ground with his tail, landing on top of her with enough force to break her wings. Mir cried out in pain as Evan struggled to his feet, stumbling over to her and setting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, brother." Evan whispered as he cast his spell: light gathered before Mir's snout as she gathered her mana, took a breath and fired it into the light. An explosion ripped through the air as the beam shot into the sky, casting a warm yet saddening glow onto everyone in Ossyria. The smell of burning flesh hung in the air, a stench that was beyond compare to any foul smell that existed. Phoenix's eyes had gone dark, no longer having the red glow emanating from them like a brightly lit ruby. It seemed that he was still alive, looking down at his chest where a large hole now resided. With his last few moments of life, he shakily leaned down to Mir's ear, and whispered:

"Iekmo Mir… mayak galsenmo… o argaust." After he had spoken, Phoenix rolled to the ground while Dragonoir fell from his shoulders, bleeding profusely from the wound where his right arm and part of his chest had been blow off in the blast. Coughing and heaving, he did what he could to hang onto what life he had left, blood soaking his now clear face and staining the ground where he lay. Maya ran over and knelt next to him, tears stinging her eyes as she shakily touched his face, cleaning the blood from his ashen skin as though doing so would keep him alive. Evan and human Mir walked up behind her, watching as Dragonoir's life slipped away before them. Despite the aura of the Black Magic having been lifted, his eyes were still cold and soulless: if his breath had been a weapon, he would have used it to kill Evan. With one final spurt, Utah spewed blood from his mouth and became still, hate and furry still burning within his empty eyes. Evan tried to remain strong, but he couldn't fight back the tears that forced their way out of his eyes. Mir put her arms around him, holding him together while his world fell apart, able to ignore the pain in her wings to comfort Evan's raging ache. Saia walked up to the group carrying Chief Tatamo on her back, but when she saw what had become of Phoenix, she closed her eyes sadly and bowed her head: it may back been a victory for the Guardians, but they had lost in a way.

* * *

Helen and Oz calmly walked through the market of Ariant, bustling with people and life now that the Queen had been dethroned. Jiyur caught sight of them and waved to her just as he finished buying a basket of food for him and his sister living happily with Eleska. Everywhere she went, accompanied by Jiyur, she was greeted by people that she had helped by delivering food, healing them of sicknesses or wounds, even just being there to listen to their troubles. She was happy to see that the people here had gotten back on their feet, beginning to heal the scars left by Areda. She had just taken Jiyur back to Eleska's house when her skin tingled, feeling the same as it did when she cast her lightning spells. She quickly teleported down the road just as a powerful bolt of lightning blackened the road where she had stood just a moment before.

"My my, you're a fast one. No one has been able to avoid my lightning like that." a voice called. Helen turned to face whoever it was that had cast that spell and saw a young man dressed in a white robe draped over one shoulder with golden pants and forearm sleeves. Haughtily he brushed the drooping side of his hat out of his face, spinning his Ice Element wand on his fingers.

"But you won't be so lucky this time Black Wing!" he growled, holding up his wand as a shot of mana was hurled into the sky. Orbs of light appeared in the air before Helen, giving her just enough time to hold up her arm and bring to life her newly acquired Shield of Ester; a bright light shot out in four directions from a diamond shaped jewel on her wrist, holding off the lightning as though it were nothing.

"I see; you are quite powerful young man. But let me open thine eyes to what you are against." Her cloak turned into its whip form atop her staff, while she summoned a flame in her hand, hurling it forwards.

"Ah, a poisonous flame mage: then let's see you get passed this." The other mage laughed as he summoned a wall of ice to block the oncoming flame, but was instead sent flying when Helen cracked her whip on the flame, making it explode and shatter his ice wall. Just as he was about to recover, Helen summoned her Wings of Light; feathers sticking into the wall all around the young mage.

"A priestess too? That's impossible!"

"It is not impossible, especially when you carry the responsibility that I do." Helen answered, pushing her mana aside as the Amethyst power poured from her body. Electricity gathered in her staff hand and encased her staff as her cloak returned to its normal form. She hurled it straight at the young mage, and then threw her hands out, freezing the young man's feet in place. He tired casting his own lightning spell to counter the fast coming thunder spear, but the spell collapsed from the sheer power of Helen's. He shut his eyes and covered his face just as the staff buried itself in the wall directly beside his head. When he opened his eyes, Helen was standing before him with a bubble of thick poison mere centimeters from his face.

"Wh… who are you? I've never seen a magus as powerful as you. Not only that, but you can cast the spells of all three mages: The Arch Mage of Poisonous Flames, the Arch Mage of Cold Lightning, and of the Bishop!" Helen moved her delicate hand in a mesmerizing fashion before putting the poison back into the pouch on her belt and pulling out the staff.

"I am Helen Olman, The Guardian Mage of Ossyria; Granddaughter of Grendal the Ancient." The young mage stood in awe and fear, wanting to run but at the same time wanting nothing more than to just stay there to bask in her glory. Quickly he broke away the ice and bowed to his knees, placing his wand at her feet.

"Guardian Mage of Ossyria, I beseech you that I, Bert of Victoria, be taken under your watchful eyes and trained to become as powerful as you." Helen laughed breathily and shook her head.

"Bert, there is no reason that you must bow to me. I am but a human, just as you are."

"Yes, but you are one of the ones the ancient texts said would defeat the Black Mage. I can do no other." Bert quickly replied, not wanting to look Helen in the eyes. Helen sighed and touched his shoulder.

"Bert…"

"Please, call me Burr." He asked. Helen nodded and smiled warmly.

"Burr, I will gladly take you as my apprentice. But I warn you now, you may feel like you are not making any progress and may even feel that you will never be very powerful. But that is only because I house the Amethyst Chrystal's power within mine own body. Such power indeed is very potent, thus making it seem that I am much more powerful. In reality, I am no more powerful than you could be." Burr looked up into Helen's riveting violet eyes and nodded, allowing himself to be brought to his feet.

"Helen! Helen, I came as quickly as I could when I heard the explosions! Are you okay?" Oz asked, running up to them, her staff blazing ready to fight.

"Yes Oz, I am fine. My new apprentice Burr here was just a bit confused as to whom he was attacking." Oz smiled warmly and extended her hand.

"Hi there, the name's Oz. I'm the Empress's Blaze Wizard. Trust me, you won't find a better master than Helen here. She can teach you all sorts of tricks. She even showed me a few things that I could do with my own flames." Oz happily said, shaking Burrs hand vigorously.

"Well, shall we get back to Herb Town? I think the others should be coming back soon." Helen nodded her agreement and began casting the long range teleportation spell when Burr was about to ask a question. However his question was soon answered when he found himself standing in the midst of Herb Town. He could see the other Guardians sitting a bit off, but they each looked depressed and on the verge of tears. Helen looked around seeing a young woman in dark and sensuous clothing sitting with them.

"My Friends, what has transpired while I was in Ariant?" Helen asked as Olsen told her of what had happened, bringing Maya back with them since she no longer had anywhere to go. Helen nodded, almost feeling the pain that Mir felt in having to kill her very own kind. Camila happened to be walking by when she saw Evan and Mir holding each other as if they didn't want to let go.

"Evan? What's the matter?" She asked gently, placing a hand on his and Mir's shoulder. Evan looked up and dug deep within himself, finding just enough strength to look Camila in the eyes.

"Camila, I'm sorry: I've known what happened to Utah for many years, but I didn't have the fortitude or the courage to tell you the truth. Utah, was Dragonoir; I tried to save him from himself, but I couldn't." Camila bit her lip, looking away for a moment before she too succumbed to tears and joined Evan and Mir as they wept over the loss of a dear friend, brother and comrade.

* * *

All three of Horn Tail's heads looked to the south east, suddenly feeling the spike in power. His heart felt like it would break, feeling one of his brothers become a demon. He was about to spread his massive wings to go and stop him, but before long he felt another spike in power and saw the bright beam of light pierce the skies while the feeling of the first dragon's power disappeared.

"Econ-mal mayak berkomo o argaust." The Mage walked in just as Horn Tail closed his eyes and bowed his heads in respect of his brother's passing, seeming to be saddened when he heard the torrid whispers of The Mage fill the air around him. Horn Tail bared his fangs, growling in his throat while the horns on his middle head glowed with a hot light.

"Mo atuk fegahgo kegon carlo cosha o yo kest berkomo, bekno-michan!" Horn Tail growled between his clenched teeth before putting his heads on the ground and quietly mourning the loss of one of his kind. Horn Tail growled and faced The Mage as flames brewed in his throat when he heard haunting whispers of The Mage and his heartless preaching of Phoenix and Dragonoir's weakness.

"Be careful what you say Mage, you may just anger me." The Mage only laughed and shook his head filling Horn Tail's ears with a warning, turning away and leaving this weak minded dragon to his mourning and tears over such a pointless loss.

"_You may have given me back my life, but it is mine to lose. Not yours to take."_


	7. Chapter 6: Behold! Zakuhm!

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Chapter 6: Behold: Zakuhm!

Again and again he pounded at the barrier, slamming his huge body into the invisible wall, smashing houses and squashing the living dead beneath his feet.

"You know, you're never going to get out that way." The shadow said with a pompous smirk.

"Hana mal bekno-michan! Don't presume to know my reasons for wanting to break free of this prison!" Zakuhm growled slamming his body into the barrier again, as Richie floated over to the speaking shadow with interest.

"And what do you mean? Is there a way to break this accursed barrier?" The shadow could be heard laughing before he pulled from the wall and stood with his hand in his pockets.

"There is; but how far are you willing to go to break it?" the shadow asked, pulling aside his black and white mask, running his fingers through the silver hair atop his head.

"I have a score to settle with Saia for putting me in that restrictive statue form. On top of which the Shareniens still owe me a sacrifice of blood in return for the jewels I allowed them to mine!" Zakuhm roared, spreading his claws and beginning to dig down and look for a way under the barrier.

"That won't work either you dolt. The barrier that surrounds this town in shaped like a ball: No matter where you go, even if you were to go down into the caves, you would still reach the edge of the barrier." One of Zakuhm's six heads snaked down to the shadow and bared its teeth.

"Then what would you have me do?" Zakuhm thrummed, flames licking at his gums from between his teeth. The shadow grinned darkly before turning and pointing a finger to Richie.

"You've had everything you needed to break free right here."

* * *

In the following few days, all of the Guardians couldn't seem to get out from under the cloud that had settled in their hearts. Evan, Mir, Camila and Maya all stayed within arm's reach of each other trying to except that Utah was really gone and hold each other together. But more than that was the sorrow of knowing that nothing could've been done to save him from his own deep rooted jealously. Athena, Eckhart and Kyrin were assigned the task of bringing him and Phoenix back to Herb Town, where they were laid next to Elde, Heidrin's and Neinheart's son. His headstone was carved into the likeness of him as a young man, before he had become obsessed with outdoing Evan, still having a caring heart on the pig farm while Phoenix curled around his feet looking up to him. Camila could often be found kneeling at the foot of the grave, silently reminiscing the times she had come to visit him and how she was always so scared of the pigs that he farmed, as well as how she would always feel better when Utah would come and escort her through the pens to his house.

"Utah, you fool." she would say before moving on to another memory of so long ago, or so it seemed. Lillianne and Matthew could be found smashing through obstacle courses, training until their blades smoked and their mana had run dry. Jack and sometimes Matthew could be heard grunting or yelling as they trained on their makeshift weights, trying to get stronger while still sorting out the tragedy in their minds. Jenny and Olsen tried to take their minds off of it by joining the hunting parties in search of food, or joining Kyrin and Mark on their night patrol. Helen opened tome after tome, reading until she fell asleep or sat quietly on a small mountain in the mornings before the fog burned off, trying in vain to calm her mental storm of emotions and self curses: why hadn't she been stronger? Why did she have to go to Ariant instead of help the others where she could have possibly saved Utah? Why, why, why? Burr her followed one morning, just watching her as she peacefully sat cross legged with her eyes closed.

"Master Helen?" The slightly icy edged voice made Helen smile through her meditation, already knowing that he had been standing there for the past hour.

"There is no need to be so formal Burr." She said as she sighed and opened her eyes to the horizon.

"I just have a question: your friends defeated Dragonoir, a foe that I don't think I would have even been able to face. So why is everyone acting so depressed?" Helen smiled with sadness, explaining to him what had happened and how Draginoir was actually Evan's older brother after giving in to the darkness his jealously had created.

"I see. I guess that would put quite a damper on anyone's mood." Burr commented as Helen began walking back to her hut, staying close behind through the herb gardens that outlined Herb Town when Lillianne could be seen running at full speed back to town.

"Lillianne! What is the matter?" Helen called, but it seemed that she didn't hear a single word she had asked as she ran.

"We should return ourselves, there could be something…" However her sentence was cut short when she suddenly felt a wave of very powerful magic wash over her. With wide eyes she looked back in the direction she had felt it from and noticed that the crimson glow over the El Nath Mountains had become a dark blood red while a beam of white light shot into the sky. Helen swallowed hard as she watched the light until Olsen found them both staring into the sky at the light.

"Hey! You guys better get back to the village; your gramps said that there's something fishy happening around the Forest Of Death. Auzzy, I need you to go to Mu Lung; tell the Empress and the knights to be ready in case we'll need back up." Olsen called, stopping only long enough to call out to them and give his instructions then continue on. Burr readied to attack the second Ninja until Olsen began giving him instructions before he took off as if he were a human bullet. Burr wanted to be introduced at the least, but matters at the moment seemed much more important than pleasantries, so he held his tongue until later as they returned to town.

* * *

"It seems the Guardians have almost forgotten that you've been using them as pawns in a very simple game." Eleanor purred, standing next to The Mage and watching him work. The Mage did nothing holding his hand over the Mithril Crystal contact pad slowly developing his doll into a life.

"I don't mean to sound overly doubting, but I don't think that they have fully forgotten about it. If you notice they've very nearly stopped using their crystal power." Dragon interjected while Eleanor walked up The Mage and handed him a glass of her mana potion. The Mage paused and turned his gaze to Dragon, whispers arising and pointing Dragon to a small green crystal hanging on a delicate gold chain around the neck of the doll. Eleanor moved closer better see, recognizing the crystal.

"Isn't that crystal a summoning stone?" she asked. The Mage said nothing, acting as though he hadn't heard her question until he paused his work once more and filled the room with whispers then returning to the work that must be done on the doll's artificial life force.

"Forcing them to use the Crystal's Power thus further increasing their own power, but at the same time empowering you, and with a deadline of an eclipse no less; how very ingenious." Dragon said smoothly when Eleanor tilted her head and summoned a celestial calendar spell to double check the existence of said eclipse.

"But won't that eventually backfire Master? The Guardians would figure out what's going on and be able to see beyond that." Eleanor pointed out. The Mage only shook his head, pausing his work once more as he spoke in whispers, almost as if he had a bit of a laugh in his voice until the Chief Oblivion Knight floated into the room.

"Black Mage your highness, a student under Eleanor wishes to bring to your attention something that may interest you." The Mage turned to the Knight and nodded, waving his hand over the incomplete doll, suspending it, and walked back to his chair where Dragon and Eleanor standing on either side of him. Two Oblivion Knights under the chief escorted the young man in who quickly bowed low to the ground.

"You say that you've discovered something that may be to the Master's interest?" Dragon Asked asked. The young man tried not to let his fear of his show, but none the less he still shuddered in The Mage's presence.

"Y-y-yes, I have sir. I have been researching the Crystals, and I understand that they are of a high importance to you. However, it came to my attention that once the crystals have been fully unsealed that they will only respond to the one who freed it." The Mage leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his thumbs with interest.

"Well, according to my research, the Guardians have access to a great deal of its power, but once the fullest extent of its power is realized, it is as though the crystal will become a part of them. It was a safety of sorts put there by…" the young man stopped, unsure of whether he should continue until The Mage's whisper's finished for him, then questioned as to why something of this nature would affect The Mage's plans since he would extract the crystal's power back into the husks, where they belonged. The young man picked his head up and reached for his journal, flipping through page after page until he had found what he was looking for.

"That is true, but when any one of the users has gone through an extreme emotionally traumatic experience, such as the severe wounding or death of a loved one, the power of the crystal could be called back to them, even if it is the husk that the power has been returned to._" _The Mage nodded his understanding as the young man was escorted out.

"Why should something like that be of any concern for you Master?" Dragon asked as the Mage stood, looking over the calibrations for the crystals within the Gauntlet as Eleanor answered for him as she was also well aware of the Gauntlet's power.

"Emotion can be a very strong weapon Dragon, even more dangerous than any spell that I could cast. If indeed the power can be called back from the wielder, it would make the Infinity Gauntlet's power unstable and very hard to control." She answered. The Mage narrowed his eyes and began his calculations once more, the skull mask creaking as he clenched his jaw: Minerva had done her work well to ensure the crystal's power wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

* * *

Helen and Burr arrived at their meeting place just as Grendal was about to explain what it was that had been going on in the Forest of the dead.

"Oh Helen, did you feel it?" Grendal asked as Helen entered the circle. She nodded as she sat next to Jack, Olsen appearing from thin air after he had checked boarders for any unusual activity at the request of Syl.

"I'm sure that you will remember the mission that Athena, Eckhart, Mir and Evan took to investigate some strange happenings in the Forest of Death. My old friend Richie managed to free Zakuhm, the seven headed Hydra, from the imprisonment Saia had trapped him in, but I suppose you should know what it is you're up against. From the days of the Sharenien, Zakuhm demanded that the people make sacrifices to him, and in return would allow them to mine the precious gems within the earth. The barrier that Faust and I placed over the Forest of Death to keep the soulless people from spreading to other areas of Ossyria, is the only thing that is keeping Zakuhm from escaping into Ossyria of today. Somehow, he has managed to find the anchor of the seal and is beginning to break through it. If that happens, there is no telling what horror he will rain down onto Ossyria." Grendal explained as Jenny stood, lacing her fingers and cracking her knuckles.

"Then what are we sitting around here for? We've got a giant Hydra to stop." She grinned until Grendal held up his hand shook his head to stop her.

"The barrier has many layers to it, and won't be broken completely through for about two days. In that time I want you visit Saia and ask her about Zakuhm. I've heard that she and Zakuhm have a bit of history."

"Why would we do that? There is a massive Hydra about to break free and you want us to go gather intel from his old flame?" Jack questioned, motioning with his hand towards El Nath.

"I know it seems pointless, but there are some things that you need to know about what is driving Zakuhm. There still may be a chance to save him from himself; he's dangerously close to forcing himself to become a demon from what Mir has been able to feel. I don't think the dragons here could stand the loss of another of their kind if he becomes one." Helen sighed heavily, thinking back to Mir and how hard the loss of Phoenix had affected her until Jack chuckled angrily and shook his head.

"Fine. But we'll have to make it quick; with every moment that we waste in not doing anything Zakuhm comes another few moments closer to breaking free." Jack huffed, crossing his arms in impatience and aggravation before walking quickly back to his hut to change.

"Is Jack always like that?" Burr asked as he walked with Helen back to her hut.

"Not always. But the Pirate within him is often far stronger." She smiled as she stopped Burr at the threshold of her door before disappearing into the shadows of her hut. Burr sighed: he had wanted to try and spend some more time with his new master, but the events of the previous few days hadn't really given him many chances to learn from her.

"Hey, I heard that you were Helen's apprentice?" came a voice from behind him. Quickly Burr whirled around and readied a lightning spell, fizzing lightning igniting at the end of his wand.

"Take it easy, we're all friends here." Said another as he relaxed his spell and body once he was sure they weren't enemies.

"And who would you four be?" Burr asked as he tucked his wand under his belt.

"I'm Auzzy, Olsen's Apprentice. This here is Nathan, Matthew's Apprentice. Aeirs here is Jack's apprentice and Nate's girlfriend, and Antonia, Jenny's Apprentice." With each introduction, Burr shook their hands, pausing for a moment when he shook Antonia's hand taking note of her facial features.

"We were all headed to the training grounds and wanted to know if you wanted come along? We could use another sparring partner." Auzzy explained, turning away slightly as though eager to get going. Burr was about to refuse when Helen's voice cut through his thoughts.

"It will be good for you to go with them Burr. I often train with the others to keep my own skills sharp and to sharpen theirs. Think of it as training while I am away." Burr smiled and nodded before tearing after the others who had already left for the training grounds while Helen met the others to leave for Leafre.

* * *

Saia slowly opened her eyes when she felt the seven lives step into the Meditation Grounds, greeting them with a slight hint of sadness in her voice.

"Hello Guardians. What is it that brings you here to me? I usually don't get many visitors." Saia soothed, stretching her neck slightly. Jenny stepped forwards, putting her bow over her shoulders as Alden walked up to Saia and sniffed around where she lay at some interesting scent.

"We've come here to ask you about Zakuhm; He's been slowly breaking the barrier that surrounds the Forest of Death and was wondering if you could give us any insight." Saia nodded to Jenny's question, a painful light gleaming in her eyes as she crossed her arms and laid her head down on them, looking the Guardians in the eyes.

"In our home world of Oldesta, Zakuhm was a Hydra that had lost his way as a branch of the Dragon race, and started a war within Oldesta that nearly destroyed it. In the end, Zakuhm was defeated and fled allowing the dragons began rebuilding our world. As in all wars, there are casualties and prisoners and I had the unfortunate fate of being one of the many dragonesses taken prisoner by Zakuhm's forces to his personal bunker by Horn Tail, who was under Zakuhm as one of his generals and went by the name of Skeleth. For years I searched for a way to escape the hell that he ouwld put us through, using all the dragonesses as personal breeders to help rebuild his army. But with each attempt that failed, I would be taken back to Zakuhm's personal chambers where he would force himself on me so many times. One particular night, I managed to get Zakuhm drunk enough that he passed out, and Skeleth was out on patrol. It was that night that I escaped his grasp and activated the World's Passage to escape, a power that each dragon is given to use once every 100 years and travel to another dimension. I didn't care where I went, just so long as it was away from Zakuhm." Saia breathed a great sigh, almost as if retelling her tale was still fresh in her mind.

"I came to this world just as Minerva and Corus were putting the finishing touches on it. I was badly injured from Zakuhm's abuse and crash landed in the Leafre Forest where Minerva and the Hafrings took care of me. A few years passed and I was made Guardian of the Minar Forest and had even found a mate who had also escaped here during the war. But my peace wasn't meant to last: towards the middle of Sharen II rule, my worst fears were realized when Zakuhm and Skeleth came to Ossyria on a conquest. The Sharenians living in what is now the Forest of the Dead, yielded to Zakuhm's tyrannical rule and in exchange allowed them to mine the mountains for jewels and precious metals. His self centered nature spun even more out of control when he demanded that a statue be made in his honor in the deepest part of the mine where he would be able to watch the miners as they dug. But soon that wasn't enough and began demanding human sacrifices to allow the people to continue to mine. At the request and help of Minerva and my mate, I was sent to defeat Zakuhm. For hours we fought, tearing at each other with ferocious strikes until he miscalculated, allowing me to seal him within the very statue he had demanded the people make for him. Minerva and Corus then told him that he would become the guardian of precious and powerful treasures as punishment for his deeds against the Ossyrian people. I believe that he still harbors a grudge against me for sealing him within the statue, but I am still weak from the attack that Phoenix hit me with not long ago. I know that his death would affect me, but my distaste of him would outweigh any pain that might come of it. I want you to see to it that he NEVER leaves that cave." Saia growled as Matthew walked up to her and placed a hand on her muzzle, able to feel the pain and fear that she felt towards the hydra.

"We'll do what we can. Don't worry Saia, he won't come near you ever again." Saia almost looked she was about to cry in relief, but instead bit her lower lip and held back her tears as the Guardians left.

"_Zakuhm; your judgment is near! I may have healed from the wounds you dealt me, but I will never forgive you for what you did to me, nor for the fate you dealt my mate!_"

* * *

Whispers filled her ears, calling the name Josephine gently as the human-like creation opened her stunning aqua eyes and fixed her attention on The Mage. Questioning murmurings hung thick in the air as the girl nodded her head, looking around the gel filled tank that suspended her athletic form until her attention was snapped back to The Mage. He spoke of a task, and if she completed said task would be granted a permanent existence. Slowly the gel drained from the tank while Josephine reached up and pulled the breathing mask from her face before bowing within the confines of the tank.

"What is it that you would have me do master?" the girl asked with a calming yet chilling voice. The Mage held his hand forwards, revealing The Mine of the Dead within the small cloud of Aura, as well as six young people walking near it, susurration being the voice she heard as The Mage explained her task. The girl bowed her head as the tank sank into the ground allowing The Mage to toss her a towel and a yellow leather jacket, skirt, and knee high boots. Josephine looked back to him and nodded in understanding when reminded of her reward, sent on her way with a wave of The Mage's hand once she was dressed. What would the Guardians do once they were challenged right before their eyes?

* * *

Carefully, The Guardians descended the icy mountains coming from El Nath, watching for any and everything that could possibly spell doom in their favor. Alden slunk from where Jenny hid up to the edge of the Barrier, confirming that it still stood by reaching out his paw and touching it.

"Alright, at least that's still up. According to Grendal we have about a day until the barrier breaks, so whatever we do we must do it in that window." Matthew whispered as each of them transformed their cloaks into the weapon form before passing through the barrier. The town seemed too quiet for them; all of the undead they were told wandered these streets were gone. Quickly and quietly they ran between houses, alleys and anything else they could use for cover, but the further they went the more they began to feel that something was very wrong.

"Where is everyone?" Lillianne asked, walking out into the street with Helen who held out her hand to feel for any type of life, but shook her head.

"Zakuhm must have done something with them; we need to hurry." Jack commented just as the ground lurched and swayed for a moment, shaking the snow from atop the buildings. With a concerned look, the six of them began running for the entrance of where the mine would be, finding that it had been dug out again: claw marks and scales littered the pathway down into the dark. Helen, Jenny and Matthew called upon their flame attacks to light their way, carefully climbing over the unstable ground for a long while until they came to the rivers of hot lava deep underground.

"Well, at least we don't need torches anymore." Olsen laughed nervously, trying as best they could to keep from drawing the attention of the huge Baine Hounds that resided there. Bones and the smell of rotting meat filling the air, telling them that Zakuhm must have used the people of the village to put the hounds to sleep once their bellies were full. There were a few tense moments where Alden couldn't help himself and sniffed one of the hound's paws, and again when a loose stalagmite fell into the bubbling lava.

"There's the door to Zakuhm's chamber!" Hissed Jenny, the six of them splitting up and hiding behind the walls next to the door, quieting their breathing until nothing but the breeze blowing through the cave could be heard. Olsen flicked two stars into his hand and held up his other hand for a moment, listening and feeling the movements that went on inside the chamber then waved his hand down.

"ALRIGHT ZAKUHM! Stop right… there." The six of them looked around the empty chamber, where a finely designed crest was carved into the stone floor. On the back wall of the chamber were two people suspended in the air as though they had been crucified. Jack instantly recognized one of them as being Richie, but the second young girl he didn't recognize.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" came a smooth voice as Zakuhm came down to the floor, winding three of his heads around the Guardians, flipping his tongues as though he were a snake. Jack and Matthew's shoulders felt tight, just waiting for when the Hydra would strike.

"Why would you six deprive me of what I want more than anything in this world?" one of the heads asked as Zakuhm's body moved around in front of them, the other four heads coiling their necks.

"Because this world is not yours to conquer! You may be a powerful hydra, but you are all alone, not even Skeleth will come to your aid!" Helen shouted. Zakuhm laughed, sounding like a bad echo as each head laughed with a different timing.

"I haven't heard that name in a very long time. In any case, I won't be stopped again! I _WILL_ rule and there is nothing that YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!" he roared, two of the heads opening their mouths wide unleashing a blockade of flames. Olsen ran to the front and held up his cloak which glowed brightly as it directed the deadly flames around them. Another pair of Zakuhm's heads took a hissing breath and unleashed their flames on him as well, further pressing down on Olsen as he struggled to hold up the cloak as the flames became too heavy to hold back. The last of Zakuhm's three heads took a breath, fire building at the back of their throats when something grazed their cheeks and made them shoot the flames up into the ceiling, glassing the rocks and relieving the stress on Olsen. Lillianne came through the cloud of flames with a whirl of her halberd before tumbling forward and landing a hit on one of the heads, only to have it spark off his scales. Helen held her staff parallel to the ground for a moment and then hit the end of it on the ground.

"BE SEALED!" she called as a giant six sided box appeared around Zakuhm piece by piece until symbols appeared on each side, closing in around his body and confining him within a smaller space.

"You really think this will hold me?" Zakuhm growled forcing his arms out while trying to lift his heads. Helen tried to hold the seal even tighter, but her grip on the spell was slowly slipping until Zakuhm broke free of it with a loud roar, throwing Helen to the ground. Jenny ran forwards, calling up her powerful Rain of Arrows and firing into the air above him while grabbing her crossbow on her belt and fired a bright light into the ground.

"CLEAR OUT!" She yelled as she ran back to the group and Matthew held out his hand, making an iron wall shoot from the ground. A few moments of silence passed until the ground erupted in a geyser of arrows from below while a hailstorm of arrows rained down from above. Zakuhm howled in pain as some of the arrows pierced his softer underbelly before swinging his claws hard. Matthew turned to call up another wall, but wasn't able to solidify the wall in time making it shatter into hardened flakes of mana and flatten them all to the ground. Olsen was the first to recover, followed by Jack, running at Zakuhm full bore: Jack ran just under Zakuhm and swung up hard, making the resulting shockwave from his fist lift Zakuhm slightly into the air. As Zakuhm tried to recover from the hit, Olsen ran up the ridge on his back, wrapped his hand around the blades of his Double Knife covering them in potent poison and then disappeared in a streak, reappearing on the ground. A long wound appeared from Zakuhm's chest to his belly, fizzing and boiling as the poison began to take effect. Helen teleported before him, slamming her staff into the ground where a column of fire shot up around her, enveloping Zakuhm with a flood of flames before disappearing to another part of the cave.

Matthew stood at a bit of a distance as he pushed mana through his Sawtooth, making ice reach its sharp fingers up the blade. Lillianne stayed close to the hydra, butchering his legs and knocking off large patches of scales as she worked her way up his body before launching into the air with a battle step. Bright blue dragon's wings appeared on Matthew's back, propelling him forwards in a streak of frosty light, freezing the ground as he moved. Both Lillianne and Matthew swung hard, hitting Zakuhm with enough force that they threw him back into one of the walls as the ice from their attacks began enveloping him. Helen spun her staff as though it were a bo-staff before forcing her hand out and summoning the Ice Demon, splashing over Zakuhm's body as though it were liquid ice. Jack pulled his pistol, cocked back the hammer and pulled the trigger making a blast of icy air leapt from the barrel. Jenny reached for her crossbow, loaded another bolt into her crossbow which iced over quickly and fired, sticking into the skin of Zakuhm's chest.

Just before the ice completely encased him, Olsen could be seen above them with his doppelganger reaching into the pouch of coins on his belt and hurling a handful of blood soaked coins down into the remaining hole as well as a few stars, burying themselves in the cut on his underbelly. A few seconds after the ice had encased him the coins glowed brightly and exploded sending huge pieces of ice in every direction. Zakuhm stayed in an upright position for a few moments, silently looking up to the ceiling while smoke rose from his scales until his massive body tilted forwards and slammed onto the ground. Matthew unhooked the sections of the Sawtooth and swung hard above the two people hanging in mid air, but there was nothing there to cut: no chains, ropes or otherwise.

"Let me." Helen said with a gentle hand on his shoulder guard, holding up her hands as the two of them glided down to the ground while a crest of light glowed on the back wall, signaling to Helen that the core of the Barrier was still safe. Jack went over to Richie to check if he was alive, but then realized that he was nothing more than a skeleton and went to check the girl, placing two fingers on her neck; she was still alive, but her heartbeat was very weak.

"Come on, we need to get this girl outta here." Jack called as he threw her over his shoulder.

"What about Richie?" Lillianne asked, nudging the strange man with the end of her halberd as though he were a zombie to make sure that he was dead.

"Just leave him. On second thought, let's get him outta here, if Zakuhm was using him to break the spell..." Jack wasn't able to finish when Zakuhm's giant hand slammed down in front of him, breaking the already weak floor into stone slabs.

"You aren't going anywhere!" he growled, picking his weight off the ground despite the blood draining from his body like water and the fizzing poison in his wound.

"I will break free of this prison and I will reign supreme!" Fire erupted from his mouths making Jack turn tail and run as fast as he could to the entrance of the room. Matthew growled as light gathered around his Sawtooth, making it grow into a sword made of pure light and unleashing a solar scythe that sliced off one of his arms. Zakuhm's deafening roar shook the cave, causing cracks appear in the walls and floor becoming bigger as Zakuhm thrashed.

"YOU GET HER TO THE SURFACE! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!" Matthew thundered as his sword glowed with a golden sacred light.

"WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" Lillianne called back. Matthew looked back to her, grabbed her shirt and pulled her close, kissing her firmly before hurling her after the others.

"It's just you and me now Zakuhm! HOW DOES A MILLION TONS OF EARTH HIT YOU?!" he thundered as he pummeled Zakuhm over and over again, cutting deeper and deeper into each of the cuts that he had made, his head pounding and ears ringing as Zakuhm howled louder and louder. When he was sure that the cracks had grown enough, he unleashed one last solar scythe cutting off his other arm, then held the Sawtooth aimed down at the ground with a soothing violet light enveloping the blade.

"I hope this works!" He raised his hands as high as he could, then drove the sword into the ground where the dragon's roar seal appeared. Slowly a Dragon's head rose from the seal, tensing its neck as though getting ready to strike until it turned its head to the sky and let out a deafening roar. The rocks could no longer hold together as a stalagmite broke from the ceiling driving itself though Zakuhm's body, pinning him to the ground.

The other five had been teleported away by Helen to the base of the El Nath Mountains where they turned to watch the mountain range over the Mine of the Dead collapse. It was strange to watch as it disappeared in a cloud of dust while the echoing roar of Zakuhm could be heard over the rumble of the earth, each of them realizing that Matthew was still in the cave. Lillianne stood for a few moments, waiting to see Matthew's overconfident stride walk away from the cloud of dust that billowed from where the cave had been, but seconds drug on into minutes, and still Matthew had yet to appear from the rubble. Lillianne fell to her knees, dropping her halberd to the ground with a loud clang and slamming her fists into the ground over and over again until her knuckles began to bleed.

"Matthew, what am I supposed to do now?" she asked through her tears. Minutes stretched on into hours making Grendal, Dances, Athena, Lilin and Aran come to find them when they hadn't called for pick up. Hours stretched into days as others from Herb Town dug through the rubble to try and find Matthew. Lilin and Athena managed to wake up the girl, finding that her name was Josephine and had escaped from a facility the Black Wings were using to perform experiments on people, splicing together human and animal DNA to produce a stronger soldier. In addition, she told that a lunar eclipse was coming which is when The Black Mage was going to initiate his plan.

"I overheard some of the research big wigs saying the only thing that would really pose a threat to him is if the Guardians were able to gain full control over the crystal power and attack him before the eclipse hit." Aran opened his celestial calendar and confirmed that at the end of the year was a Lunar Eclipse.

"So how are we supposed to gain full control of the Crystal Power?" Jenny asked as Alden nudged her hand to be pet.

"I don't know; I wasn't able to hear anything on that. They left before I could hear anything more." Josephine whispered, still weak from her escape and encounter from being captured by Zakuhm.

"Perhaps in order to control them, it requires our usage of them. I remember the awesome power that I was temporarily wielding once the power of the Amethyst Crystal had become unsealed. Perhaps then it would stand to reason that continued usage of the Crystals would allow us further control over them." Helen agued, summoning violet flames in her hand making it dance as she spoke.

"But what about that hunch we have about The Mage using us?" Olsen reminded them.

"It is a chance that we will need to take Olsen. Even if we are playing into the hands of our enemy, we still must try and stop him." Helen answered, putting a hand on his shoulder shaking him slightly as she made her point. Information like this was good, but it did little to help Lillianne who could be seen sitting at the ledge where they had seen the mountains collapse, rocking back and forth telling herself over and over again that Matthew was still alive. But as the days drug on, hope began fading from her heart as she helped day after day to clear the rocks and dirt making their way into the heart of the cave. At the end of the sixth day, Lillianne was forced to accept that Matthew was gone and that there was nothing that she could do. Saia came and paid her own respects, thanking them all for helping her get some closure on the haunts of her past. When they went back to Herb Town, Helen and Jenny tried to be of some comfort to her, but Lillianne refused their company and walked back to her hut. Dropping her halberd to the ground, she pulled off her cloak and loosened the strings on her green leather top as she flopped on her cot. With silent tears she pulled her legs up to keep herself warm against the cool breeze of the bay and against the giant hole in her heart.

"I was beginning to wonder when you were going to get back." Matthew's voice said. Lillianne froze, shaking her head trying to make herself stop the hallucinations of Matthew's voice by covering her head with her pillow. But then she felt the strong and warm touch on her arm, and then felt her cot shift as a weight sat down next to her. Out of frustration she quickly got up and swung her arm right into Matthew's face, landing a good back hand on the nose and throwing him to the ground.

"Aww! What's wrong with you? What was that for?" Matthew grunted, covering his nose and mouth to stay the pain. Lillianne was stunned as she carefully got off her cot and reached for her weapon.

"Are you really Matthew?" she asked as she inched closer to her halberd.

"Yes! You sure hit me hard enough. I would think that you…" Matthew stopped and looked into her tear filled eyes as she held her halberd with white knuckles and shaking hands.

"Lilli, you didn't think that I…" Lillianne dropped her halberd and tackled Matthew to the ground, wrapping her arms around him hard enough that it hurt while her relieved wails filled the air. After Lillianne was sure that Matthew really was there, she brought him to the others where he told them that he had found a spare transporting node when they went to Ludibrum in his bag. Just before the cave collapsed on him, he activated the node which transported him to the Omega Sector watch tower.

"It took me two days just to explain who I was to them since Dr. Kim was away on a science mission, and then it took me another three days just to try and get ride back here. I would have sent you guys a message if I had a way to do so. Crane was gone, the Tickets were gone because they had taken our students on another mission to Mu Lung to meet the Empress, and Shank's ship was down for repairs." Everyone laughed, cried, ate and just enjoyed each other's company until a swarm of children surrounded them and asked to be told of their latest mission.

"By the way Mir, I meant to ask you about something." Jenny said as she sat an eager child on her knee. Mir nodded her head as if agreeing to answer while leaning against Evan comfortably, some hint of sadness in her eyes and posture.

"I wanted to ask how you dragons are connected? I mean when Phoenix was killed you were almost catatonic for a solid week." Mir looked down, slightly saddened having to remember Phoenix's death, and felt slightly saddened with the passing of Zakuhm the previous week.

"It is the same with you humans. From what I understand about the humans in Ossyria, Minerva and Corus were the first to start life here, and their children married others brought from their home world, and they had children. However as the generations pass, you humans tend to forget that you are all related to each other on some level or another, even though your connection may be quite far back. We dragons are not from Ossyria, but instead are from the world called Oldesta, including the Dragon Queen, Afrien of the Onyx Dragons. Every dragon that is ever born is taught rigorously about their heritage and taught to revere every dragon and dragoness as a member of our family even if we may be of a different bloodline. On top of which, the dragons all share something called 'Heroteno Arguast', translated into your language as 'Love of Mystery'. It is similar to what you humans refer to as a connection between twins: the unexplainable bond that they can each feel when something has happened to the other. This connection is what keeps us dragons strong. " Helen's interest was piqued, leaning forward and asking her own questions.

"Then why is it that I hear tales of battles and wars between dragons if you share such a deep connection?" Mir shook her head and set her drink down, sitting up.

"It is the same as any family: disputes sometimes escalate into full blown wars. But every dragon that loses their life in those wars is mourned over. We dragons are not so different from you humans." Mir said with a sad smile, turning her attention back towards El Nath.

"_Econ-mal Zakuhm, mayak berkomo o argaust." _ She thought, placing a hand over her heart as though physically feeling Zakuhm's absence within the world. Her attention was brought back to the conversation at hand when she felt Evan's hand on her shoulder which then moved to gently message her upper back, smiling down at her as if to say that he understood.

* * *

The Mage pressed the tips of his fingers together as quiet, intrigued whispers filled the air around him as the shadow leaned against the wall somewhere in the dark of The Mage's throne room.

"Deh, it was nothing. All I needed was to get that dummy Zakuhm to break the first barrier and I was home free." The Mage nodded as he sat down and eyed the shadow, growling murmurs weaving through the air as an image of Edelstein appeared in his hand. The shadow grinned slyly and crossed an arm over his chest, taking a small bow.

"A spy in Edelstein for the Black Mage? It would be my honor: when do I start?"

* * *

Deep within the depths of Aquarious, Carta appeared and stared into her brew, shaking her head when her concentration was lost due to the sudden jolt she felt in her chest, and then heard the familiar thrumming coming from the entrance of her cave.

"_He has returned. This will be the perfect way to try and warn them. I just hope that what I tell them won't sway their decision to protect us all._" She though holding a hand to her head before her form disappeared into this air, then opened he eyes as she hung from the chains deep within the stale smelling cave, feeling as if her chest were being crushed from the inside.

"_Just you wait; I won't be here for long."_


	8. Chapter 7: Sister of the Depths

Chapter 7: The Sister of the Depths

Dragon was becoming restless: since the finding of all the crystal husks, there wasn't much to do except try and keep the Black Wings in line and keep an eye on Edelstein; the Memory Knights had yet to report anything that was even slightly out of the ordinary. However his one most enjoyable past time was when he would accompany Eleanor. She had become a very important part of his life and was constantly finding himself walking up behind her and putting his hands around her waist. Other times he would stand on the highest balcony with her and watch as the sun sank down into the night or stand just outside of her class, waiting for her to finish. However enjoyable it was though, he still wanted to be out on the battle field.

"Dragon, Eleanor. I have a task for you." Gelimer called one day as they walked through the halls.

"You know that your affairs have nothing to do with us, don't you?" Eleanor questioned with an air of agitation in her voice, shifting her weight to one leg and putting a hand on her hip.

"Yes yes, but that isn't the point. I'm running an experiment and I need you two to go into Ariant and get me some of that mystical gemstone they harvest called Lidium! From what I hear it makes for an excellent life conductor."

"How much do you need?" Dragon asked, his legs already becoming restless and wanting to leave.

"Oh nothing much; about a ton should do." Eleanor's eyes went wide in surprise.

"A ton? Do you hear yourself?" The doctor just grinned, holding his teddy bear tighter to himself with a sneering laugh. Dragon drew the Dume from his back and shoved the tip into his face while black aura began seeping from the cutting edges. Gelimer just stared at the blade for a moment and then thumbed the edges.

"I know that you are a high level swordsman, but I can offer you something that will make you even more powerful than you already are." Gelimer said with a cryptic smile. Dragon narrowed his eyes as he returned to a resting position, eyeing him cautiously.

"And what would do such a thing?" Dragon asked, partly in interest; partly in agitation. Gelimer held up his hand with an old parchment scroll, the edges of which were slightly torn and withered, tied together with a weathered red ribbon.

"This here is a scroll of ancient power that was found during one of our expeditions to the Sharenien ruins. It is said that when it is applied to whatever it is intended for, that item will gain power equal to what is written on this parchment. However, there is only a chance that it will actually work since the scroll is very old." Dragon reached out took the scroll from Gelimer's extended hand, sliding the ribbon off and unrolling the ancient parchment to read the ancient inscriptions.

"I see; so whatever sword this scroll is applied to, that sword will then gain a degree of enhancing my attacking power?" Gelimer nodded his answer. Dragon quickly laid his sword on the ground and laid the scroll across the blade, pressing it flat for a few moments. At first nothing happened until the faded letters on the scroll began to glow, lifting from the parchment into the air in a swirl of light that gathered together and then burst in what appeared to be the shape of a maple leaf, then the small sparks of light descended onto the blade, looking as though stars were twinkling in the night. The parchment burst into flames, disappearing and not leaving a single piece of ember behind. Cautiously Dragon reached for the handle of his Dume, unsure of what had happened if anything to his sword. But once he wrapped his hand around the handle, the mana veins within it screamed to life as a surge of power raced through his arm and into his body.

"Th-this is incredible!" Dragon huffed, staggering a bit as the power settled and resonated with his body's own power.

"That it is Dragon: your own power is enhanced by five degrees now. But I must also warn you, that there are only so many times that any weapon can be enhanced as such." Gelimer answered, smiling a bit.

" It can be done multiple times?" Eleanor asked, suddenly interested in the power that it could grant her.

"Yes, but only to a certain number. With each enhancement, any part of your powers or physical abilities will be enhanced by a certain number of degrees; swiftness, strength, power, even your limberness can be enhanced beyond what you are already capable of so long as you wear or use the item the scroll was applied to. Be wise in what kind of power scrolls that you use, because once a scroll is used, it cannot be undone." Dragon looked up and down the blade of the Dume, shaking his head in astonishment before sheathing it.

"Another note that you might want to know is that the oldest scrolls have the most potential power, but because of their old age, the spell they were enchanted with has become weak and may not work." Dragon smirked and nodded, eager to try out his new strength against someone, anyone, now that his sword had been enhanced.

* * *

Mark woke with a start when he thought he felt a hostile presence just on the other side of the door where he slept, only to feel as if it disappeared again. His training from Kyrin was leaving him sore morning after morning, especially since he had also been doing night patrol with her. Swinging his legs over to the floor, he rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose while yawning wide and pulling the sleepers from his eyes. He was exhausted, but it was almost noon and there was still a heavy training session with Kyrin to do before the beginning of their night watch. Even though he was half asleep, he still managed to find the showers on the middle deck of the Nautilus. Before he was able to step inside, Muirhat grabbed him the by the shoulder and tossed him down the corridor. Mark struggled to right himself, finding that Muirhat was already on him, pinning him to the ground with his knee.

"Geeve bak what you have stolen from me, outworlder!" he shouted. Mark had just enough time to move his head as Muirhat's fist slammed into the boards of the floor, allowing Mark to kick off his attacker and make a break for the main hatch.

"Come bak here you coward!" Muirhat called once he had righted himself. Mark ran out the hatch and onto the beach where there was more room to maneuver: sure Mark had been learning from Kyrin how to fight, but to fight someone of such a high caliber wasn't boding well for him. Nervously he took a stance, waiting as Muirhat in one leap sailed over the yards of sand until he was within arm's length of him.

"Listen bud, I don't know what you have against me, but I didn't touch your stuff."

"My stuff ees not what you stole from me! Give bak de Captain, and go bak to yor world. YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE!" he shouted, fists glowing bright blue almost as if they were covered in flames as he swung. Mark jumped back just as his fist hit the ground throwing dirt, dust, and rocks everywhere. With each strike Mark began to realize that he wasn't going to win. Tripping over an unseen sapling gave Muirhat the opportunity he needed to open his Mana gates, transforming him into a being made of golden light. Mark tried to reach for something that would him up and out of Muirhat's howling fist, but with each grab he made only kicked up loose sand. Thunder engulfed the docks, tossing sand high into the air and shaking the waves that curled and crashed onto the shore into calm water. Once the dust had settled, Mark shook his head to get what sand he could out of his hair and saw Kyrin standing over him, dressed only in a white button blouse, holding back Muirhat's fist while her hair swayed in the musty breeze from off the water.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked with a tone of voice that made Mark shudder. Muirhat's eyes could be seen narrowing, but he said nothing as he pulled back and threw another punch. Kyrin grabbed his arm and directed it down, swinging her elbow into his face, then slamming her fist in his gut, hurling him back into the tree line.

"Stay here." Kyrin commanded, her body exploding into a hot blue light making her hover above the ground in her Ultra Hyper Fist form. Mark's skin crawled and itched from the power emanating from Kyrin as though he had a bad rash, only able to watch as she leaned forward slightly, and hurled forward into the tree line where flashes of gold and blue light could be seen between the trees.

* * *

Jenny bolted to the right as Helen cast a fire spell, flames igniting and billowing into the air where Jenny had been a moment before leaving Helen just enough time to swing her new bo staff up and block the incoming Spartan sword from Matthew, a sphere appearing around his wrist. For a moment Matthew held back his strength as he spared with Helen until Lillianne swung her halberd down hard on the two of them. Helen teleported away while Matthew pulled back, blocking the halberd with his sword then held off an air splitting punch from Jack with the Shield form of his cloak. Jack jumped away from the shield just as a huge throwing star sparked off the face of the shield making Matthew trip coming face to face to Olsen and his dagger.

Lillianne whirled around, spinning her halberd in a blur to block the wall of arrows Jenny had fired at her while gathering mana on the cutting edge of the blade. Jack's gun roared as large caliber rounds split the air directly at Olsen. In a flash he disappeared, dirt tossed into the air as Olsen rushed Jack in hopes of catching him off guard. Jack was about to brace for impact but was surprised when he felt Olsen's dagger slip around his neck. Quickly Jack thrust his arm back, to hit Olsen with his elbow, but instead meeting nothing but air. The six of them all jumped back as if on, standing in a circle staring each other down while static hung thick in the air around them: each of them held at bay the most powerful of their attacks, watching each other for any kind of movement until Matthew smirked, defusing his mana and sheathing his sword.

"Well, I'd say that was a fairly good session." Helen smiled and bowed in return as she defused her own poisoned ice spell.

"Indeed, we have all greatly benefited from this today." Helen answered as she wiped the sweat from her neck and straightened her hair.

"That was so totally amazing! You guys were like, bow bap bang! And then you were all like zzzzssshhhhoooowwwwww. Seriously, I hope that I can be just as cool as you guys looked." Antonia called, as she and the other four apprentices clapped their hands.

"With a little work and diligence, I'm sure that you could." Jenny encouraged, slinging the bow over her shoulders and reaching for a cup of cool water, but noticed small ripples in the cup.

"Did you guys just feel that?" Matthew asked, looking around and reaching for his Spartan Sword when a low rumble rolled all around them. Lillianne squinted her eyes slightly as she looked into the forests around them, seeing flashes of blue and gold light periodically. Thunder rolled over the hills until someone in Hyper Fist state streaked past them on the ground, then shot back into the forest when a person in the Ultra Hyper Fist careened into the same place as the gold, the light fading to reveal Kyrin. Jack was about to ask her what was going on when the person in gold came back, hurling a sword-like weapon at her that wrapped around her arms and pulled her to him. Kyrin broke free of the rope but was hit with a barrage of punches that left her looking weak and vulnerable. The glow around the gold one soon faded to reveal Muirhat who dropped to his hands and knees, heaving breath into his lungs for seconds that lasted hours.

In a blur the two of them launched at each other again matching each other's movements until they backed away, waiting for the other to make a move. Kyrin slid her foot forward; Muirhat did the same in return, clenching his fists tighter until the brass knucklers on his arms began to creak under his grip. Again the two of them lunged at each other as if they were of the same mind making, the grass around them swaying while a bubble of energy built around them. Kyrin reached for her pistol, thundering off rounds at Muirhat who flipped and somersaulted away from the shots until Kyrin reached to reload. She just tipped the last bullet into the cylinder when Muirhat absorbed the energy around him, compressing it around his fist. The ground shook as he ran forwards when Jack appeared between them, fists fizzing with lime green electricity.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jack roared, slamming his electrified fist into the ground making it cave nearly 10 feet under the weight of his punch. Muirhat slid down the side of the crater readying to continue his attack until Jack caught his fist and defused the energy into the air as though it were a strong wind.

"Move, or I will eliminate you as well out worlder." Muirhat growled, looking at him from under the bandages over his eyes. Jack's eyes slowly began glowing red as ruby crystal power flowed from his body, climbing up like a slow moving fire.

"And why are you attacking my mother in the first place?" Jack asked with a sneer.

"De captain is yor motha?" He asked in surprise as Kyrin slid down the side of the crater and put a hand on Jack's shoulder, squeezing gently as though saying to 'let go'.

"Yes Muirhat, he is my son. Now answer me this, why were you attacking my husband?"

"He ees not worthy of you! He ees but a weak out worlder!" Kyrin's lips curled as she responded.

"I don't buy that Muirhat! I thought I already talked to you about this. Ever since you've come back you've been acting hostel to Mark, and now you threaten my son; so again I will ask, what has been bothering you?"

"Noting, you don't have to worry about eet."

"Is it because you're trying to make up for being captured?"

"No."

"Is it because you don't like people who aren't from Ossyria?

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

"I STILL CARE FO YOU CAPTIAN! Eva since the charade we had played to stop Sharyl from insisting dat you marry heem I have wanted us to be mora den friends. But den you disapeya for almost twenty years and den com bak only for me to find dat you had given yor heart to anotha." He screamed before running off in a random direction towards Mu Lung. Jack was about to go after him when Kyrin stopped him and motioned with her chin towards the rim where Shulynch stood watching Muirhat run off. Shulynch swallowed hard before telling them all that Dances had requested they come back to the village as soon as possible since a note arrived for them a short while before, running after Muirhat.

"Even after all of that, she still wants to love him." Kyrin pointed out wistfully as she watched Shulynch disappear into the distance. For what seemed to be an eternity, Muirhat used what energy he had left to run, just run and run and run until he collapsed to the ground on his knees and elbows. Why? Why was he left by the side of the road for someone as weak as Mark?

"Muirhat?" Shulynch asked, walking up to him slowly and reaching out to him.

"What do you want woman?" Muirhat asked angrily. Shulynch huffed and walked up to him, sitting down in the sand next to him for a while trying to build up her courage once more.

"Look, Muirhat. Kyrin has always had a bit of a thick skull, so sometimes things don't always get through to her. When your idea to get Sharyl off her back worked, that was it for her. To be honest, I was actually jealous of you two and how you looked so natural together because I… I've always had a…" Shulynch wasn't sure she wanted to continue, but if she stopped now, she may never have another chance to get what she wanted to say out into the open.

"I've always liked you, but no matter how I tried or wanted to, I never could become like my sister: outgoing, bold, fearless. I know this may not be the right time, but I thought you should know." She felt silly for acting like a giddy school girl, but she said what she wanted to and left before Muirhat would tell her that there was no chance for them. She had a feeling that it wasn't going work out, but at least she had made her own feelings known.

* * *

Josephine walked through the village with some of the children that had instantly taken a liking to her calm and quiet demeanor that most people had mistaken for an anti-social attitude. But no matter how many people she hung around, she never was sure of whether or not she would be accepted into their circle of friends. Her spirits lifted slightly when she saw 'The Six' come into town only to fall just as quickly when she wasn't waved to.

"Don't take it so hard. They are often called back into town just to answer a letter or summons." Nathan assured her when Syl walked up to them.

"Ah, there you are. A letter was just received from Ariant saying that there are a couple suspicious individuals walking around town. One is said to be dressed in a black trench coat and the other in a violet cloak."

"That sounds like Dragon and Eleanor; Master Jenny told me that those two are a nasty pair to run into. Dragon is a highly trained swordsman and Eleanor is the Black Witch." Antonia replied, reaching for the steel tipped arrows at the metal smith's when she realized who they were up against.

"_THE_ Black Witch? And we're the ones called in to check this out? There's no way that we'll be able to take them on if we get in a fight with them." Aeirs squeaked, putting her gun down as she cleaned it.

"I think that we can do some damage if we were to attack in waves like our masters do. They are able to take on some of the most powerful of beasts in Ossyria that way." Burr pointed out, playing with a small orb of ice in his hand.

"In any case, The Six are being sent into Aquarious so they won't be able to assist." Syl mentioned, continuing to explain what it was that was going to take place. Questions began to mount in Josephine's head: yes she had been sent here on a mission to mingle among them, but how was she to do that? She had no experiences to share with them, no family, no past, nothing except the memories she had gathered while sitting in the drawer of The Mage's desk.

"M- may I accompany you to this, Ariant place? I, have no memory save for when The Six found me in Zakuhm's cave."

"You mean you don't even remember who your parents are?" Auzzy asked.

"I don't even remember if I have parents or a family: what is a family?" Nathan and Aeris walked over to her, taking her hand in understanding.

"My girlfriend and I both lost our families at young ages, and we had nothing but each other to hold onto as family. Family doesn't have to be people you're related to, it can be the people around you or those you've grown up with. Family can be the ones that you hold close to your heart and the ones you'll never forget." Josephine nodded slowly as she tried to make herself understand what it was he was saying, even though her existence would eventually fade anyway and it would be nothing more than a dream.

"But to answer your question, yeah you can come with us." Nathan smiled. Josephine felt her heart become lighter, as if it would lift her from the ground and take her to the clouds. Antonia turned back to Syl, telling her that they would be ready to leave in an hour once they had properly outfitted their newest of friends and prepared for the journey as well as the possible adversary that lay ahead.

* * *

"You requested to see us?" Helen asked as the six of them filed into Dance's teepee.

"Yes. A message arrived from the Sea Sorceress Carta. She says that she must speak with you on a matter that concerns all of Aquarious and even Ossyria: Pianus the Fish. He was a terror that wanted to flood all of Ossyria to make it his domain when he was alive the first time. However Carta says that there is something different about the way he's been thrashing in his cave as well as something making the creatures act differently." Dances said as he stirred a large pot of a delicious smelling stew.

"I think that's where another Mana Drill is. If I remember right, Dr. Kim said that's another one of the spots where Mana was being drained. I'll bet you anything that's where it is." Matthew smirked, rubbing his hands together. Within the hour, The Six were sailing through the waters using a submarine from Omega Sector's Aquatic branch, admiring all of the wonders that were hidden beneath the waves. Down, down, down they trekked through the dark waters, watching Bone Fish swim by while sharks cruised past them. Lights from the sub shone onto the walls of the abyssal trench reflecting off of gem-like shells of squids that would disappear in a cloud of ink.

"This is the second time that this sub has been brought down to these depths. The first time was a beta test: a single woman offered to test it for us." The pilot said as he made sure to avoid sharp ledges while on their decent to the set sonar guide point.

"Is that so? Do you happen to remember anything about this woman?" Helen asked as she brushed out her long locks of velvety violet hair that now reached to her knees.

"There wasn't really much to remember except that she wore a cloak of a finely woven fabric and every so often I could see a strand of blond hair fall from under the cloak's hood. She wouldn't even let us see her face so that we could enter her information into the database. Another odd thing was when the sub came back there was no one in it." Helen looked back at the others who were all deep in thought while the pilot carefully maneuvered into the exact position displayed on the sonar.

"Well, that should be the cave there. We have a few hours of air left, but don't take forever." Once the door had been extended through the barrier, The Six filed through into the damp cave where a green fire could be seen burning under a pot of a thick purple liquid.

"Come in, come in my guests. Make yourselves at home while I finish." A beguiling female voice said, echoing through the cave. Olsen walked forwards first with his hand resting on his dagger while the others followed him until a tall ashen skinned woman descended a small flight of stairs from her ingredient's closet. Matthew's eye brows lifted slightly as he looked to meet her alluring gaze magnified by a cascade of hair covering one of her eyes: she was taller than Matthew, but was just a bit shorter than Aran with a stunning, well proportioned figure beneath skin hugging clothes. Olsen, Jack and Matthew tried hard to keep their senses about them so as to not let their eyes wander too much as she slowly and sensually walked.

"Ah, if it isn't The Guardians of Ossyria; I was hoping to have this done before you arrived, but alas, you'll just have to wait a bit. My name, if haven't already guessed is Carta." She said, dropping a hand full of mushrooms and something unidentifiable into the pot, making the purple goop turn a bright green which was strangely both disgusting and mouth watering at the same time.

"If you are already familiar with who we are, then it will save us time in asking what it is you requested our presence for." Olsen replied shortly. Carta looked up and walked over to him, leaning forward while supporting herself with one hand on her knees, putting a finger tip under Olsen's chin, making it painfully hard not to look at her ample chest.

"Patience young Ninja; there is a time for expediency." She smiled before taking her finger away making Olsen fall forwards onto the ground, quickly getting back up.

"Hm, you upper land men are so easy to manipulate. Give them something to stare at and they become nothing but putty in our hands, am I not right girls?" she asked with a laugh, looking to Lillanne, Helen and Jenny who were all staring back at her with rather angry eyes making Carta smile even wider as she walked back to the pot, grabbing up a small fish figurine and running her fingers over it.

"Long ago, Pianus used to be just a normal fish within the oceans of Aquarious, often bullied by the other fish because of his unusually small size. His freinds Muse and Kenta of Aquarium City did their best to stop it, but all the same Pianus was bullied day after day. He then wished one day that he could be big enough that no one would want to bully him again; unfortunately his wish was answered by The Black Mage. Pinus learned his powerful Light Beam and other techniques, absorbing the powerful magic of The Mage that slowly made him grow into the monstrosity that he is now. His sheer size alone made him a formidable foe within the seas, and soon he began terrorizing the ones that had bullied him before." With a wistful look she set the figurine on the shelf, turning to the Guardians and feeling a bubble rising in her chest making her place a hand on it to suppress the feeling. The action made Helen tilt her head, feeling something in the air waiver slightly, as if there was a interruption of magic. Carta soon regained her composure and continued on with her tale.

"However the power that he had gained tainted him and it became his mission to sink all of Ossyria, ruling over it from the crushing depths of the water. With his new powers, he began to undermine all of the land starting in Aquarious heading towards El Nath; he was only a short way through when your parents came and stopped him. Since the resurrection of the Black Mage however, he is once again continuing with his quest to sink Ossyria. There is an additional force at work coming from the area around his lair that is unsettling, and with each minute that passes, I fear that my own power will soon become vulnerable. Ah, here, have some." Carta offered, spooning out a bowl full of the green goo bubbling in the pot; Jack cautiously reached out for the bowl and sniffed at it which smelled slightly like lemon and old bread.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't kill you; you're too important to Ossyria." Carta chuckled. Still with a high sense of apprehension, Jack tipped up the bowl and took a small sip of the bitter, yet delightful goo swirling in the bowl.

"Hey, this isn't too bad actually." Jack laughed, tipping up the bowl and eagerly drinking down the rest of the stuff. Carta smiled wistfully while she spooned out the other five bowls and handed them out.

"This is actually a potion my sister taught me when I was very young: it allows one to temporarily breathe in places where air doesn't exsist." She explained, faltering slightly and holding her hand to her chest once more.

"Why exactly would we need something like this in the first place? The water pressure is too high for us to go anywhere without a sub; we'd be crushed flat instantly." Jenny exclaimed as she finished off the last of her bowl.

"It isn't to breathe in water; it's so that you can breathe within Pianus's lair. He has created a barrier at the entrance of his tunnel to keep water from rushing in and eroding away his work. As a result of his power, the air has become nothing more than a cloud of poisonous Miasma because of the unlucky fish who have accidently swam through it, dying from the lack of water." Matthew thought for a moment on what she had said until a question in his mind hit him.

"You said that your older sister was the one that taught you this breath spell right?"

"Yes, in fact it was." Carta replied sadly, looking down into the pot and swallowing hard as if to suppress her sadness, feeling the bubble in her chest rise once more.

"Could you tell us who your sister was?" Helen asked gently. With a nostalgic smile she looked up at Helen and closed her eyes, thinking back on all the times that she had spent with her sister and how she had always admired the way she was able to learn magic so easily.

"I knew her as Icedancer, but you know her as Minerva, the Gentle." Silence filled the cave as The Six stared in awe and astoundment: Carta was Minerva's sister?

"If that is so, then why do you not have the beautiful wings of white that Minerva possessed?" Helen asked once she was able to overcome her stunned stupor.

"I eventually took after my father, a human from the Versal dimension that I later discovered was actually a parallel universe to this one. I used to have skin like yours, but when I came to this world at the invitation of my sister Minerva, someone tried to force himself on me and in self defense I ended up killing the poor man. Minerva knew what had happened and decided to help me by hiding me here where no one would try to kill me, changing my name from Windharp to Carta. It was here that she and the goddess Rhinne taught me to hone my ability to see into the possible future. Over time because of the lack of sun, my skin became what you see now, like my father's."

"You see the future?" Lillianne asked, more interested now than she had been.

"It isn't a set future, only a possible one. But even without looking forward, I know that you will defeat Pianus." Olsen smiled as they began to leave, thanking her for her potion when Carta reached out and grabbed Matthew's cloak.

"However, there is something that I must tell you. If…" She seemed hesitant and saddened, looking around at the young faces of these six young people before her who were prophesied to stop The Black Mage.

"If you continue down this path, one of you..." Carta closed her eyes: she had seen so many young ones come to her seeking a possible answer to their adventure but had seen just as many never return from their quest for greatness.

"One of you will suffer a great loss." Jenny walked back to her and placed her hand Carta's hand that gripped Matthew's cloak.

"Then we won't let that happen. Yes we may have difficult times ahead of us, but we promise that there will be no losses."

"How can you say that with such certainty?" Carta questioned sadly.

"I have seen what could happen to any of you, and there is no escaping that one of you will die." Jack smiled as he turned around and drew his pistol, throwing out the cylinder while watching the brass bullets make a blurry ring.

"You said it yourself: It's a possible future. So we'll make sure that future never happens." The confidence in Jack's voice eased her enough to let them go, but the heavy feeling that had settled into her heart didn't feel any lighter, nor did it feel as though it had any signs of leaving.

"_Icedancer, if only you were here you could calm my spirit. Please, watch over them, where ever you are._"

* * *

The students arrived with Josephine in Ariant without incident and were warmly greeted by the former Sand Bandit leader Jano, who was now Abdulla's liaison to make sure that the people of Ariant were treated fairly.

"Your masters helped us all very much in our time of need and for that we are grateful. We had requested their return but since they are so busy these days, you were recommended in their stead. Welcome to Ariant."

"Thank you; my master Helen has told me many of things about this place." Burr commented as Jano escorted them into the palace to see Abdulla.

"Thank you for coming to the desert town of Ariant my request. I feel as if I am taking advantage of you since your masters already helped us once, but alas I don't think our forces can handle something like this. As I said in the letter I sent to you, a stranger in a black coat and another in a violet cloak have been seen walking around our village; would you happen to know who they might be?" Abdulla asked, turning to see each of their young faces. Auzzy stood and bowed slightly before offering his thesis.

"As a matter of fact, we do. Well I don't, but my sister apprentice Antonia has said that these two people could be Eleanor the Black Witch, and a powerful disciple that goes by the name Dragon. Both of these individuals are a bit more than we can handle, but we can look into what it is they are up to."

"Thank you, we are in your debt, for whatever it is that you can do." The six of them walked through the entirety of Ariant once they had left the palace, visiting the different people and hearing stories about how Jack, Helen, Lilin, Nathan and Aeris had helped rid the town of Areda. However every person they talked to hadn't seen the two strangers that they were looking for until a boy near the village said that there were two strange people close to where the Lidium was be possessed at the edge of the village. Auzzy sighed as he checked his stars, Antonia checked her arrow count and Aeris made sure that she had at least four reloads of bullets.

"Are these people really so terrifying?" Josephine asked as she watched them get ready.

"It's not that they're scary, it's that _we_ are highly unprepared for a battle of this caliber. Even Master Matthew has trouble beating Dragon, let alone Eleanor, and he is nearly a Fourth Degree Swordsman." Nathan answered as he swept through motions and moves to ready himself.

"Then why are you going to face them? Wouldn't it be better to let your masters take care of them?" Burr huffed and shook his head as though annoyed at her lack of understanding.

"Because the people of Ossyria are our family: Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins, grandparents, all of them are our family. And no one makes our family feel unsafe." Josephine stared blankly at him for a moment as did the others until Burr shook his head and motioned for them to go and face their foe.

* * *

"Dragon, don't you think this one here would look nice as a ring?" Eleanor asked, holding a small Lidium gem on her finger, imagining a gold band underneath it.

"Eleanor we are not here to find a gem for you; we are simply here to get the Lidium that Gelimer requested." Dragon reprimanded. Eleanor sighed, putting down the small rock before pressing herself against Dragon while the old man Muhamad checked over their stock.

"I'm sorry to tell you that we do not have that much Lidium in store. It is not something that you can just go into the desert and find like a hand full of sand; it takes years for a single ounce of Liduim to be made. Even when Areda had demanded the Lidium, the most we ever managed to find was just under the ton you are requesting. However that is only the high density. There should be more than enough of the lower quality over here for your needs." Muhamad said and he motioned to many large piles off to the side of the processing line. Dragon growled, reaching for the man's scarf and picking him up to meet his gaze.

"No, that will not do. Gelimer requires the highest quality."

"Please! Don't take it! It is our only way to bring money into this desert city. If you take that then how will we survive?" Eleanor set a hand on Dragon's shoulder telling him to set the man down as she took a turn, using her feminine charm to her advantage by pulling back her hood and throwing the cloak back over her shoulders.

"You did it once before did you not? I don't think that you should have any problem doing that again now do you?" she asked in a calming tone, leaning forwards to look the man in the eye.

"Those were some of the hardest days; I don't think the people of Ariant could take having their lives belittled like that again." Eleanor became slightly agitated as she restrained her wanting to strangle the man just to get the Lidium that Gelimer wanted.

"Then let me put it this way to you; if we don't get the Lidium, I'll kill everyone and everything here." She threatened, satnding back up and holding her hand out where a dark flame flared to life.

"Even the children?" Muhamad shakily asked. Eleanor suddenly stopped, memories of her childhood flooding back to her and her life before the Black Mage, how things were so happy and simple and the safety that she felt with her oldest brother Logan always around to protect her.

"Eleanor, what's wrong?" Asked Dragon, watching how she spaced out for a few moments.

"I don't know, I…" Her thought was interrupted however when Auzzy's Bazlud dagger stuck into the ground at Dragon's feet.

"Hey, why are you pestering these people? Didn't you do enough by sending Areda here?" Aeris asked with overconfidence emanating from her. Dragon huffed as he reached for his Dume but instead was met with Nathan's spear at his throat.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Dragon looked into Nathan's eyes with a sneer: he could easily draw his sword and cut down this insignificant worm, but where would the fun in that be? Besides, they were the students of The Guardians, and could prove to be more of a challenge then any normal person. But he just smirked instead, drawing his Dume in one smooth motion and throwing Nathan back. Antonia released the bomb arrow she had been holding while Burr cast a lightning spell to block them in, orbs of fizzing energy appearing above them and striking where they stood. Dragon and Eleanor dove forwards while Eleanor teleported to Burr, slamming her palm into his gut with a dark attack spell before teleporting away as Auzzy's Kunai slammed into the ground where she stood.

Aeris compressed her mana into a grenade and hurled it as hard as she could at Dragon who had just enough time to hold up his sword and block the explosion, making him slide back slightly. Nathan pulled himself from the pile of blankets he had been thrown into as bright blue dragon's wings appeared on his back while a dragon's tail swayed behind him, hurling him at Dragon with hurricane force and knocking him into a building. Eleanor cast a protection spell which was easily smashed by Aeris and Burr using a combination of fire and lightning, throwing her back next to where Dragon was picking himself up off the ground. Josephine could only watch from behind a small fruit stand as her five friends battled, feeling slightly fearful but still having the same unemotional and calm face. Dragon stood and wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his gauntlet before cracking his neck.

"You five are quite the advisories, I commend you." With a grunt he shot forward and slammed into Nathan who did his best to hold him back while Antonia and Aeris fired from both sides. Dragon pulled back slightly and crossed his arms while a steel casket surrounded him, first absorbing the shots then firing them right back. Neither Antonia nor Aeirs had the time to fully dodge the attack as Aeris' bullet went through her shoulder and Antonia's arrow stuck into her drawing arm.

"AERIS! ANTONIA!" Nathan tried to push back Dragon, but his strength only kept pressing Nathan further and further back, making him begin to feel as though he were about to be squashed.

"Spirits of the ancient dragons, give me wisdom and strength to face mine enemies!" the symbol of his Dragon's Blessing appeared on his head making every muscle in his body swell with mana, multiplying his strength to begin pushing Dragon back before swinging up with the butt end of his spear causing Dragon to jump back. Eleanor appeared from a cloud of mana where Dragon had been a moment before with an attack spell in her hand only to be met with Burr's Ice bolt. When the two spells met, a thunderous explosion rolled through the streets as the two mages stared each other down, threads of unused mana feeling over their arms and licking the ground.

"That was a gutsy move. Even your master Helen wouldn't do something so foolish." Eleanor complimented. Burr's face contorted into fury, pulling back his wand as he spun around and unleashed a thunder spear right at Eleanor's heart that she easily deflected with her own staff. Nathan had backed against Burr and ducked under his arm while the head of a dragon shot forward from the head of the spear making Eleanor quickly teleport away while Dragon crossed his arms to call up his casket again. This time Burr was ready as he cast a seal spell over him, canceling his casket and hitting him full force with the Dragon Fury while a hail of Auzzy's Kunai disappeared into the cloud of dust kicked up by the Dragon Fury, followed by one giant Kunai that made the ground shake with its impact. For a moment nothing happened until Eleanor appeared once again, calling an enormous book before her that turned through page after page until it stopped nearly at the end.

"Light and darkness surround me; I call upon thy powers to come to my aid. Stars be still, and moon become silent as the night surrounds me; path of darkness come to me and give me the power to vanquish those that would oppose me!" Dark energy gathered in a huge ball on her staff, humming in a dark violet light of null energy. She was about to release the spell when a single shot exploded from down the street, ricocheting off her staff, firing the magic high into the sky making them all look in the direction the shot had come from. Aeris could be seen holding her gun with her weak arm before kneeling to the ground, reaching for her blood stained shirt blossoming in a flower of crimson. That shot distracted Eleanor long enough for Nathan to slam his palm to the ground making three stones shoot from the ground: One with a shield, another with a sword, and the last with the ancient symbol for powerful magic spells. Eleanor tried again to initate the spell, gathering it at the end of her staff until she heard a thunderous shout from down the road.

"MAGIC CRASH!" Nathan screamed as Eleanor's spell first cracked and then shattered into specks of mana while he ran over to Aeris as she tried to stay the pain in her arm. Eleanor tried to summon her spell book once more, but wasn't able to; none of her magic was working. Looking down at her hand she then noticed the broken shield symbol glowing on the backs of her hands.

"Aeris, here let me bind that." Nathan called, kneeling down as he reached into his knapsack, but was stopped by Aeris, shaking her head.

"There's not time; we have to..." her words were cut short when the dust around Dragon suddenly disappeared, winds surrounded him as lightning struck at his feet while claws made of gold light swung down from the sides of his feet into the ground and a bright blue circle of orbs sank into his shoulder.

"Now I'm angry; now, you will die!" Dragon hissed as he suddenly pushed off and hit Nathan with unstoppable force while an orb appeared orbiting his shoulder. Aeris tried to run but was suddenly pulled back to him and thrown to the ground next to Nathan. Burr summoned a wall of ice when Dragon rushed at him cutting through the wall in one strike increasing Dragon's orb count to six then hurled Burr to the ground next to Nathan. Josephine felt fear creep into her heart like she had never felt before as Nathan's words played over in her mind.

"_We both lost our families at young ages, and we had nothing but each other to hold onto as family..."_ She watched as Auzzy tried to use his flexibility to his advantage in deflecting Dragon's sword which then upped Dragon's orbs to eight before throwing him next to Burr.

"..._Family doesn't have to be people you're related to..."_ Antonia propped herself up on a crate in the market place trying to keep still so that the arrow would wiggle around before summoning a dummy before her as Dragon tried to use his creature capture on her but instead he was met with a wooden dummy. The dummy was shredded in an instant after Dragon used his bright and fearful Intrepid Slash that increased his orb count to nine.

"... _it can be the people around you or those you've grown up with_." Antonia called up another replacement which was reduced to nothing as a sound wave ripped through it and slammed into the building beside her, reducing it to rubble making the orb count climb to ten which then flared bright red. Anotina weakly tried to get up and run, only to find herself drawn back to Dragon then thrown to the ground next to Auzzy.

"_Family are the ones that you hold close to your heart and the ones you never forget._" Standing over them, Dragon absorbed the orbs into himself as he lifted his sword high above his head, threads of golden electricity flared around him and his Dume, making every muscle in his upper body double in size. Just as he was about to swing down, something hit him in the gut and flung him back into a building next to Eleanor who quickly ran over to him and helped his to his feet. Dragon wiped his lip as he stood, but was surprised to a see the doll that The Mage had been working on not long ago, standing with a stance as though she were ready to fight despite her hands and legs shaking.

"Leave my brothers and sisters alone! I won't let you lay a finger on them." Eleanor looked to Dragon as he stared hard into the girl's piercing eyes for a moment, then sheathed his sword.

"Dragon, what are you..."

"There is no Lidium here Eleanor. I checked with all the miners and processers in town; every last ounce of Lidium was traded for supplies and it scattered all over Ossyria. It would be a waste to try and find everyone that they traded with." Dragon said firmly as he turned and limped back to the outskirts of town where the skiff they had taken awaited. Josephine fell to her knees as the villagers came from all around, putting the other five on makeshift stretchers and taking them back into their houses to tend to their wounds.

_"This... this is my family."_ Josephine thought as she stood once more and helped tend to her wounded family. She was still unsure how she had found the strength to knock Dragon back the way she did, but she was thankful none the less.

* * *

After hours of searching, and even having to go back to Carta for the location of Pianus's lair, The Six managed to find the underwater cave where Pianus had been digging, but something felt much different than the other waters of Aquarious. As they walked though the luminescent moss lit cave, each of them began to feel the tell tale signs of a Mana Drill, the pull on their mana became stronger and stronger, not to mention the stench of stale air that reeked of fish.

"I wonder if Pianus is being told to guard the Mana Drill. But who is the anchor for it?" Jack asked as they trekked on.

"I do not have an inkling of an idea. However we must hurry since I doubt the potion Carta provided us will last for very long." Helen surmised. Sea Urchins with single huge red eyes watched them while they came closer and closer to a black curtain-like wall that waited at the end of the cave.

"Careful around those things; those look like the Master Pinbooms from the game. Whatever happens, let's just make it quick." Olsen commented as he unknowingly took a breath and walked through the water-looking curtain where the other five soon joined him. Instead of being met with castle spires reaching high into the sky, they were met with a wide and tall cavern as well as an enormous pull on their mana which made them feel as though gravity itself had been quadrupled. In the center of the room was a single pale looking woman strung up by invisible shackles while her head hung down on her chest, too exhausted to hold it up from being used as the anchor.

"This is just like the dungeon cell that would hold the anchor of the Mana Drill in the others. Only this time it is on a much larger and stronger scale!" Helen managed to say as she tried to bring herself to her feet with no luck. Olsen managed to get to his feet, by switching to the power of the Pink Quartz which allowed him to stand and take a better look at the girl hanging in the center.

"No... no it can't be!" Matthew struggled to push himself up against the pull of the Mana Drill using nothing more than his brute strength.

"Who is it?" he grunted.

"It's Carta!" Olsen called as Matthew used his Crystal power to stand, his hair slightly shimmering in different shades of red as he then picked Lillianne up in his arms.

"That can't be. If that's Carta, then who were we talking to in her cave?"

"That too is Carta; albeit a small portion of her being. Being the sister of a powerful goddess such as Minerva provides some excellent privileges if I do say so myself. It is quite annoying since she has told you to come and save her." came a voice from somewhere in the cave. Jenny and Jack pushed their mana aside and used their crystal power, Jenny's hair shimmering slightly in shades of green while Jack's shimmered just like Matthew's. Helen's hair looked as if violet water were reflecting from the surface onto her hair. With a wave of her staff, the invisible chains holding her up were broken and the heavy feeling ceased; Mana that was being siphoned bubbled up from the ground slightly as the flow was stopped.

"Personally I don't care whether or not you stop this drill. It has proven quite the thorn in my side since I couldn't dig and risk destroying the anchor. But now that you have taken the anchor away, I can finally continue on sinking all of Ossyria!"

"That won't happen Pianus!" called Jack once he had set Carta down for Helen to attend to.

"No? And who is going to stop me?"

"We will!" Jenny called confidently. A pile of rubble to one side of the cavern was pushed away while Pianus pulled his massive body out of the hole and eyed the seven of them uninterestedly before pulling his sagging lips into a sick smile.

"Then I will make sure that you don't stop me. The Black Mage may have taught me the powers that I have, but I will never serve him!" A giant 'x' shaped scar across the top of his head glowed while a giant hex appeared where his mouth was, breathing mana onto it. For a moment nothing happened until the ground began shaking then splitting apart as shafts lava rose from beneath them in random places. Helen did the best that she could to teleport Carta away just as a plume of lava erupted right where she had been standing. Olsen grit his teeth as his doppelganger appeared, hurling a few stars at the giant fish which made him twitch and roar when each of the stars dug into his flesh. No sooner had Olsen stopped his attack then he was already launching into his Hidden Blade, slicing off Pinaus's scales. Jenny launched her Rain of Arrows above him while Jack ran forwards, hitting him with thunderous punches that threw Pianus in different directions until the energy he was gathering became fully charged, putting it all into one hard upper cut that drove Pianus into the air. The upward motion drove the oversized fish up into the wall of arrows raining down on him, some arrows stabbing into his eye.

When he came down however, the anger and agitation in his remaining eye could be felt while his fins glowed brightly and another hex appearing in front of him as he breathed mana onto it. Symbols appeared on the ground under each of them while stones rose from the ground and were compressed into huge blocks as they lifted into the air. Everyone dove except for Jack who held up his cloak and shattered the stone away when it hit. Matthew pulled the Sawtooth from his back and swung around until he had stretched out the mana connections as far as he could before slamming it into the side of Pianus's head and releasing the connections. Matthew ran to the left while Lillianne ran to the right. With swift cuts, Matthew sliced through his scales, followed by stabbing into the tender flesh below while Lillianne spun in circles like a top, cutting one long line through his side.

"YOUR POWER IS NOT WELCOME! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO SHOULD WEILD POWER!" Pianus shouted as yet another hex appeared before him summoning the strange sea urchins they had seen before all around them. Helen teleported Carta to a safe place before teleporting back in front of Pianus, gathering her mana into a powerful ice spell that froze his lips shut. Matthew vaulted off the wall behind Pianus, absorbed the five orbs gathered around his wrist and then stabbed his Spartan sword right between his eyes were a green hex ignited and propelled his sword through the fish's flesh, spraying blood up onto the rocks above him. Pianus' eyes suddenly became pearl white as the darkness of Matthew's attack over took him, unable to see. Lillianne jumped above him and slammed the giant Axe of Judgment onto his back where loud crunches of bones breaking echoed in the cave.

"I'm sending us into overdrive!" Matthew called as their bodies glowed with a dark gold light: Helen and Jenny stood side by side as they drew their arrows, humming with power and releasing them into the middle of Pianus face. Olsen ran like a comet, slashing at his sides in bursts of six while burying blood soaked coins into the cuts. Jack slammed his fists over and over into Pianus, each time leaving and instant bruise or breaking the skin and shoving a grenade into the holes. Quickly they all filed behind Matthew as he held up the shield form of his cloak where Carta was resting and waited for the explosions, but not before once again connecting the Sawtooth sections, ripping them from Pianus skin. For a moment after the assault stopped, Pianus slumped into the pit before he began twitching and screaming as each of the explosions planted throughout his body detonated, spraying rock, flesh, and blood everywhere within the cave. Once the explosions had settled, the shield finally disappeared and revealed Pianus' still breathing corpse lying over, heaving breath into his body despite the fact that it appeared to be nothing but a lump of flesh.

"I won't... be defeated here. But you have backed yourselves... right into a trap." He panted as Matthew dissolved the overdrive.

"What do you mean?" Jenny demanded.

"You must be The Guardians that I've heard so much about. Your Parents came much more prepared then you did I must say, because as soon as you kill me, the barrier holding out the water to my lair will collapse and will rush in. What do you think will happen to you?" Matthew growled and was about to take a step forward when Lillianne stopped him.

"Calm yourself, he's just baiting you. Besides, I think Carta's potion is wearing off; it's getting a little hard to breathe in here." Pianus laughed, even though he could no longer see, he could tell what had happened.

"By not killing me now however, you have allowed me to obliterate you." The spots where his eyes had been and the flesh around his scar glowed a bright yellow, energy gathering in his mouth. Helen could instantly feel the spell solidifying and ran to the front, turning and holding up her cloak just as the massive beam fired. It struck her hard, but Jack was right there to hold her up as she held back the spell and then forced her arm away to reflect the spell back at Pianus who was instantly vaporized, a groaning call filling the cave. The six looked around at each other for a moment, slightly relieved they had not only taken down a powerful foe, but also stopped another of the Mana Drills. However that happiness was soon shattered as wind began blowing all around them, swirling dust into the air as a deep roar could be heard charging towards them as a wall of water weaved its deadly form into the cave.

* * *

"Captain, sonar shows no response, cave has completely filled with water."

"What about heat scans?"

"Negative sir."

"X-ray?"

"Negative. Their gone sir; The Guardians are lost." The captain hung his head as he walked back to the controls and started up the engines when there was a ping on radar.

"SIR! We've got em! Seven, count seven life forms at 8 o'clock high!" Hitting a few buttons on the consol, the captain activated the camera on the back of the ship to see a glowing orb hovering in the water. Upon closer magnification, he could see that the archer girl was holding her cloak up that held a barrier around them. Quickly the captain jumped into the cockpit, pulling the sub around and giving them access to the wet-dock where the water was drained and Carta was wheeled into the simple medical bay until they reached the surface. On the way, Carta opened her eyes slightly, looking around and then reaching for Lillianne's hand who had stayed by her if she woke up, only staying awake long enough to mouth a 'thank you' before slumping back to sleep holding her hand.

* * *

"You weren't able to find ANY Lidium?" Gelimer exclaimed, stamping his foot and shaking around his small teddy bear.

"No, not a single speck." Eleanor responded condescendingly. Gelimer furiously stomped around as though her were a child when The Mage appeared behind Dragon.

"Gelimer! Gather yourself, just because we don't have Lidium does not mean that it will be impossible. There is still plenty of time before the five of them have fully trained the Crystals." Eleanor hissed. Gelimer huffed and walked back to his lab grumbling to his teddy bear as he went. Questioning whispers rose in the air around Dragon and Eleanor, both nodding their response.

"Yes Master. Josephine had come with the students of The Five. I believe she is still getting settled in." Eleanor commented as The Mage narrowed his eyes.

"Should we keep an eye on her from a distance?" Dragon asked, meeting The Mage's gaze as he nodded slowly.

"Very well. We shall ensure that she doesn't become lost in her little fantasy of 'life'." Eleanor said with a seductive smirk as she and Dragon left The Mage's presence. However her appearance in Ariant left The Mage slightly disturbed: had she already forsaken her original mission for these humans she walked among?

* * *

"How is she?" Helen asked, walking over to the cot where Carta was laid, monitors beeping off vitals.

"Dr. Kim says that she was a bit anemic and dehydrated, but she's been stabilized and is just resting now." Matthew answered, looking down at her where she lay.

"Were you able to find out as to why she was both in her cave and in Pianus Lair?" Matthew shook his head, sitting down in a chair next to her cot.

"Go and get some food, I shall take over her watch." Helen suggested, standing close to Carta while Matthew left: it was still hard to believe that this woman was Minerva's younger sister. She defiantly had the allure that Minerva was said to have, but to be standing next to a living relative of Minerva: maybe she would be able to find out what Minerva was like as a magus. Carta slowly opened her eyes and breathed deeply, feeling the presence shift once Matthew had left.

"Oh, many pardons. I did not wake you did I?" Carta smiled and slowly shook her head.

"No Helen, you didn't. But, where are we?"

"We have come back to Herb Town; Dr. Kim of the Omega Sector has come to make certain that your life is not in any danger." Carta tried to sit up, reaching for the pick-ups stuck to her body

"I must leave before anyone finds me. I think rumors of who I am are still…"

"Rest, no one knows of your being here save for us Guardians." Helen assured. With a heavy sigh, Carta lay back down and stretched her arms above her head.

"Tell me Carta, How is it that you were able appear to us in your cave whilst secured within the Mana Drill as its anchor?"

"That was another spell that Icedancer taught me before she married Corus: It is nothing more than a doll so to speak, created by using a mass of my own Mana anchored to something, similar to what you might call a hologram. The rest is a second spell that links my mind to the doll, allowing me to exist within that doll for a short time. If I had stayed too long with that form, the doll would have dematerialized and my mind would be left to wander for all eternity."

"If it was so risky then why did you do it, especially if you were stuck within the Mana Drill?"

"I did not have the time to do anything else when the Black Mage's soldiers came for me. Besides, I was able to see Icedancer not long ago."

"Hold a moment, you have spoken to your sister? I was under the impression she was dead!" Carta shook her head in response and placed a hand in Helen's.

"Icedancer appears to be in an unstable state, but when she does appear she is very weak and can't hold her form for very long. I can tell you though that she won't stand idle and let the Black Mage have his way; she will help you in any way that she can." Carta said, sighing contentedly and falling asleep once again in peace knowing that for a time, she was no longer in any danger.

Unbeknownst to any of them far out in the woods, a lone figure stood with a dark cloak pulled around her with the hood pulled low over her eyes so that its shadow covered her face.

"I knew it to be a lie when Athena told us that you had died." Saia said as she walked up to the figure while lowering her head next to her.

"In a way, it is better that I am considered dead." The figure replied, turning slightly making a stand of golden hair fall into the fading light of the day from below the hood.

"But why? Shouldn't The Guardians at least have a meeting with you? If not them than at least the Heroes you trained? Aran has returned sometime ago."

"No, not yet Saia. Windharp has already told Helen that I am a ghost, which is better than being completely dead. However the rest of the populous isn't ready to see me: doing so would only cause Corus to launch an attack on me in which the ensuing battle will destroy all of Ossyria. I have been here ever since the Heroes were defeated, but I can't stay in this form for long and there are still others that require training. Until suitable replacements have been found and Corus has been defeated, I cannot return to my previous form."

"Then let me tell them that…"

"No Saia. For now it is best that I remain as a ghost and a memory. Please, do not let our meeting here reach anyone for it could have unsavory repercussions if it were to reach Corus's ears." Saia bowed her head slightly turning back to the camp, waiting for the day to fade from the horizon.

"Thank you Guardians for rescuing my sister." She breathed, disappearing in a cloud of mana on the breeze from Saia's wings.


	9. Chapter 8: The enemy of my enemy?

Chapter 8: Alden's Little Romance: The Enemy of My Enemy is my Friend?

"Haido-sama, that pest has come back again." Haido adjusted his black silk kimono and opened his fan, taking an uneasy breath while fanning his face and stroking his beard.

"And what did he take this time?"

"Nothing, he simply left a note this time warning that if we didn't stop, he would come a kill you personally." Replied the darkly tanned bodyguard as he adjusted the fine black suit he wore. Haido took another agitated breath, his jaw twitching as he thought his options through.

"If this keeps up, then he could destroy us, he could destroy Showa, Zipangu even. So why haven't you idiots disposed of him yet?!"

"We're bodyguards boss, not Ninjas." Said another as he came waltzing in with wild yellow eyes, spiky gold hair, and a white suit.

"There are three, maybe four people who might be able to keep up with him in all of Ossyria: Dark Lord Jin, Eckhart the Nightwalker, Jin's squeeze Lady Syl, and this new kid named Olsen, The Guardian Ninja." Haido chewed on his cheek for a moment and then snapped his fan shut while getting up from his desk and running his hand over his bald head.

"Get this, Olsen to come to Showa. Maybe he can take care of Black Crow for us. I don't want there to be any screw ups this time and if that goes as it should, I'll let you two have the night off."

* * *

The somewhat mild winter of Mu Lung and Herb Town always left many people cleaning out the old and unused clutter around their houses with spring fading into their lives. The Six and the Masters were no different even though it had only been a few months since they had arrived back in Ossyria. The Six rummaged through old drawers, pulling out old Birthday cards, wishing them all happy 19th birthdays as well as Lillianne finding an old card from Keeny that she had signed when she had turned 17.

"Hey mom; what's all this stuff?" Jenny asked when she had come into the house after a training session with Alden right on her heals.

"Oh Jenny, I didn't expect you back for another hour. What brought you back so soon?" Jenny chuckled as she loosened the collar button of her Azure Armis while taking the arrows from her back and setting them near the door.

"Matthew was trying a new sword style with his Spartan and twisted his ankle pretty bad. Helen took care of the pain, but she advised that he see Grendal to make sure that it would heal correctly." She replied as she reached for a box and opened up the flaps to reveal some finely woven clothes.

"Wow, you never told me that you never had anything like this! These are amazing!" jenny exclaimed, holding something up to herself and turning to admire it in a nearby mirror. Athena smiled as she came over and looked over the clothes herself, thinking back to her days in the Elven village as a child.

"Yes, it's been a while since I've seen these. The last time I wore something like this was when I had begun my training as a late teenager under the The Queen of the Elven people, Mercedes. She taught me how to use Mana, but it was I who specialized the techniques that she taught me for the Bow."

"What was she like? I've always wondered who it was that taught you." Jenny asked with wonder in her eyes as she continued to look through the box, admiring old trinkets or pictures.

"She was, a very independent woman, strong, stubborn and a bit aloof. But at the same time she had caring heart that bred an air of trust around her, often making you forget that she was a queen. I miss her terribly and wished that she had survived after attacking the Black Mage." Athena said as she thought further and further back to the days as a child when she, Aran and Maha all trained together as would-be halberd swingers.

"Hey ma, what's this? I didn't know you kept something like this around." Jenny asked as noises from Athena's closet could be heard while she rummaged through the tightly and carefully packed stuff. When Athena came over her face lit up with memories when she saw the weapon before her.

"Oh my, I completely forgot that I even had this." Athena breathed, taking hold of the solid handle and running her hand over the slightly rusted and dull axe head before bringing it out into the light and looking over the words still engraved onto the back of the head in brass letters: "Friends sharpen friends, Helena, Aran, Maha". A smile tugged on her lips slightly as a long forgotten stirring in her heart re-awoke itself at the sight of this very old halberd.

"Is Jenny here?" called Jack, poking his head into Athena's room and blinking quickly to get his eyes to adjust.

"Yes, I'm right here. What's the matter?"

"There are two guys here in dress suits saying they want to talk to us; something about a ninja threatening their village." Jenny grabbed her arrows while running after Jack to the spot where Matt, Lillianne, Helen and Olsen had already gathered around an expensive looking car. Two men got out, one in white and the other in black, leaning against the door of the car as though they were something to fear.

"Is this it? You're just a bunch of kids." Exclaimed the one in black.

"Yeah that's us. So what were you saying again about a ninja attacking you?" Matthew asked, still favoring his right leg a bit from the tingle that pulsed in his ankle.

"Put that aside for a moment; do any of you know where I can find Olsen the Guardian Ninja of Ossyria?" the man in white asked, hunching over and snickering.

"That'd be me. What are you here to ask for?" The two men looked at each other and then reached into their jackets. But before they could even reach their pockets, Olsen had drawn his Double Knife and was holding it to the throat of the man in white while four dark purple bats hung in the air around the one in black. The two men looked down at Olsen for a moment before noticing that another one held a gun to his head and had drawn back his fist at the one in black while one of the girls held up a crossbow with flames fluttering on the blot at the one in white.

"I still have two friends who haven't drawn their weapons yet, not to mention that we all still have power to spare. If you came all this way to kill me, you're gonna have to do _much_ better than that." Olsen growled. The one in black chuckled as he pulled his hand out of his pocket and held up his hands.

"You've got guts kid, I like your style. Our employer would like to have a word with you Olsen regarding a little, problem of ours." Olsen backed down and canceled the Vampire attack while hooking the Double Knife onto his belt.

"Tell me where and we'll be there." Olsen said with a confident grin until the man in white shook his head.

"I don't think you understand. Our employer only wants to see you Olsen. Bringing anyone else is not only an insult to him, but also a waste of his time and space." Olsen narrowed his eyes as he thought, walking back to Jenny and whispering in her ear before running back to the Black Smiths for a few stars and leaving with the men.

"What did he say?" Helen asked as she watched the car pull out of view.

"He said that he would contact us once he knew where he was going and had a moment to spare. I can't help but think that I've seen men like them before."

"I know of them." Lillianne said in a low voice while slinging the leather strap of her halberd over her shoulders.

"They are the bodyguards Asuma Black and Brent Whitiker of Haido Takamishi, a notorious leader of the Aikeza in Showa, Zipangu. Even though the people fear him and his 'organization', he makes sure that everyone in the village is well cared for and no one can ever seem to connect him to anything, nor do they seem to want to."

"So why would someone want to bring him down if he makes sure that everything stays good within the village?" Jack asked, adjusting the straps of his King's Cross then checking the cylinder of the Concerto Di Morte pistol.

"There may be a reason many times more complicated than we know Jack. However it could be as simple as wanting revenge. Whatever the case is, my senses tell me that there is something afoot that is not going to be easy." Helen replied, when Jenny noticed that Alden was missing; which was something he had been doing a lot of lately. Maybe the next time that he saw him, she would follow him.

* * *

"…The northern border has reported 'nothing unusual' and a recon team was dispatched to Victoria since there is a group of people who wish to return to Kerning."

"Thank you Eckhart for your report. You may retire for the day." Cygnus smiled as Eckhart left the temporary palace and left to his tent where he would be able to catch up on the sleep.

"Neinhart, Shinsoo; can you two manage in my stead while I take a stroll?" Shinsoo bowed his majestic head as did Heidrin who stood to attention waiting for anyone else who might come. Lightly Cygnus made her way into the herb gardens where she would often sit to relax her mind and listen to the birds as they sang their sweet songs; but this time, she wasn't going just to hear the birds. Rounding a bend in the path, she saw Mihile standing in a ray of light beneath a cherry tree: the light danced across each of the rivets and gold leaf of his armor while playing with the sunset gold of his hair. For a moment she just stared, watching him as he walked in the sunlight until he turned his back to her where his white and gold cloak hung from each point of his pauldrons, making his shoulders seem even broader then they already were. Walking up to him made her feel somewhat nervous, but why she did Cygnus couldn't understand. She had known Mihile since he was a squire under Shinsoo and her father.

"Oh, Empress, I didn't hear you come up. I'll leave you to your thoughts."

"No Mihile, wait. Stay here with me, I wouldn't mind the company." She urged, putting her slender hands on his bracer to keep him from leaving. Mihile relaxed his stance and put his hands behind his back, slowly following where Cygnus went while she walked. She came to a rest at a ledge that overlooked the rolling mountains and hills of Mu Lung and the training grounds, where No Gong and his students trained their minds and bodies into honed weapons.

"When I was a young girl, there were times when I used to dream of what it would be like to be all grown up: what challenges would I face, what kind of people I would meet, what kind of person would I be? It's funny; lately I've been trying to remember what it was like being a child since the title of Empress was laid upon me at such an early age. Yes, Neinheart was there to help me but there were still so many things that tore me away from learning the lessons of life that really mattered." Mihile walked up to her side and looked over the valley below, soon spotting the small speck of Ereve in the distance. Memories of that place filled his head and how Shinsoo had taken him under his wing as a Page soon after Cygnus's 10th birthday, but he too missed the child hood that he had foregone to become a knight.

"As a young boy, I thought that becoming a knight was the only thing that I wanted in the world, so much so that I tried and become a swordsman under Dances at the age of five. But despite that, I think that the paths that we have taken have molded us into what we needed to be." Cygnus sighed contentedly and stepped closer to Mihile, resting her hands on the flare of his Gauntlet while tracing the gold designs before putting her arms around his.

"Empress?"

"When I'm like this, this is the one place that I feel the most at peace, where I can be myself. Please, just let me stay like this." Mihile nodded, placing his hand on hers while looking out over the plain until there was a noise behind them making him reach to his belt for his sword, moving so that Cygnus was behind him. The bushes rustled and swayed until Alden jumped from the bushes with leaves and flowers stuck in his fur. Cygnus could only smile as she went over to him and pull the debris from his fur. Alden rubbed his head against her face and purred as though thanking her for her help, then left as quickly as he had come with a flower in his mouth back towards Herb Town.

* * *

"Haido-sama, we brought him just as you asked." Asuma said with a serious tone while opening the door to the office and escorted Olsen in.

"Thank you Asuma." Haido answered quietly, walking from his window and leaning against the desk in his office, ominously resting his hands on his lap and meeting Olsen's vigilant eyes.

"As you are probably already aware, there is someone threatening the very lives that we live here in Showa. My men and my associates have been unable to put a stop to this ninja calling himself 'Black Crow'." Haido explained, pulling his arms back and putting them in his pockets.

"And what kind of crimes has he committed against you that you would need to call me?" Olsen asked, flexing his right hand in anticipation; this whole place made his skin crawl and he didn't like it in the slightest.

"Black Crow has been using whatever means he can to break into my office and steal some very important documents that if used in the wrong way, would ruin me and all of Showa. I need you to find and stop Black Crow as well as recover the stolen documents before the eyes of authority see them." Olsen eyed him with deep mistrust, thoughts running through his head while looking around his 50's inspired but expensively decorated office.

"I'll do what I can." Olsen muttered, reaching for the door behind him.

"Very well; there is only one last matter to attend to." Haido announced, opening a drawer in his desk while reaching for the gun stashed away in it. As he held it up, he was confused to see that Olsen had disappeared, feeling the edge of a sharp knife against his throat.

"I see that you don't trust anyone. That's a good thing here Olsen." Haido smiled. Olsen pressed the blade harder into his throat and leaned close his ear, dissolving the Dark Sight with his shoulder, arm and Dual Edge flaring with bright pink flames while his hair looked as if it shimmered.

"I don't trust _you_. I am a Ninja and have been taught to listen to that small voice you apparently don't have. If you give me one reason to distrust you any further then I already do, your blood _will_ spill; do I make myself clear?" Hiado chuckled and put the gun down, allowing Olsen to quickly walk out of his office; that boy would do perfectly.

* * *

Lillianne sighed heavily and thumbed a pebble into the water of the bay of Herb Town.

"When are we going to hear from Olsen? It's been almost four hours and we have yet to so much as…"

"Message for The Guardians!" called a voice as a man on a bicycle rode up to them, holding a piece of paper.

"Finally! It's about time that we heard from him." Jenny huffed, signing for the letter and reading it aloud.

"_In Zipangu and I'm going after a Ninja called Black Crow. Meet me in Showa as soon as you can and be careful, the guy that those two work for is giving me the creeps._" Jack, Helen, Matthew and Lillianne split up to prepare for their journey while Jenny waited at the dock. She still hadn't seen Alden around anywhere and was beginning to wonder if he had run away. She shook her head at herself: no, Alden would never run away. He may be smarter than any pet that she ever knew, but that doesn't mean that he would throw everything away just, because. She was about to go find a place to sit when she felt Alden's soft fur on her leg and then he jumped up a bit, holding a rose in his mouth to her.

"Aw, Alden is this for me?" Alden happily purred while rubbing his head under her chin before dropping down to all fours again when the other four returned and headed out on the Ticket's ship with Josephine who insisted on coming with them. Jack noted the way Alden had been acting around Jenny the past few days, how he would more than once tuck his head under her arm or bring little trinkets to her that he had found.

"What vexes you Jack?" Helen asked when she noted the look on Jack's face, deep in thought.

"It's just the way Alden's been actin'. Its kinda almost like he's got a crush on Jenny or somthin'."

"Yes, I too have noticed the changes in Alden's demeanor and actions. The Celion species have been known to be rather inelegant, sharing emotions said to be similar to that of a human. Perhaps it is his way of trying to win Jenny over." Helen surmised as she walked a step closer to Jack.

"I just hope the little dude doesn't go off the deep end when he realizes that he's fighting a losing battle." Helen nodded, pulling Jack's arm around her waist as they boarded the Ticket's ship. She watched Alden and Jenny for a while before turning her attention back to Matthew and Lillianne as they spared on the upper deck and then turned her attentions to Josephine. Helen could feel the power of Black Magic emanating from her, but in the same thought tried to convince herself that it was just because she had so much exposure to Black Magic when she had been captured. Matthew too had noticed the dark feeling that always hung around her; perhaps that was just residual stuff and would eventually wear off similar to a bad smell.

* * *

Alden relished the feel of his master petting his head, and deep down he rather hoped that she would stop treating him like a friend and more like a companion. But then there was the fact that he was a Celion and she was a human, not to mention that he couldn't talk like Eliza nor would she be able to understand him the way Helen could. And then there was that look in her eyes whenever she was away from Olsen for very long: always with a look of anticipation mixed with what looked to him like loneliness. It just wasn't fair!

"_Hey wait! What if I were to go to Orbis once more to see if any of the other Celion would be potential mates?"_ he thought to himself, but again he dismissed the thought since doing so would mean that he would have to break away from his master Jenny and stay within Orbis, which was something that he wasn't willing to do just yet; there were so many more places in Ossyria that he wanted to see, so perhaps the mate of his dreams was still out there somewhere.

* * *

Athena stood in the clearing just outside of Herb Town, letting the small halberd she had kept all these long years rest in her hands. She had taken a sharpening stone to it and rubbed off most of the surface rust, bouncing it in her hands making her arms and body remember the weight that she held as a child before her tribe had moved. In addition to those memories where feelings that she had long since tucked away in the farthest reaches of her heart, feelings that she had once felt for Aran on many different levels. As a child she could only recognize them as a desire to be around Aran as friends, but later let those feelings blossom into deeper, more complex emotions when she and Aran had grown older. When she had heard about Aran joining Minerva's personal forces, she used what money that she had saved and went to the Palace City of Orbis, where she had told her parents that she would be learning high level archery. But those weren't the memories she cherished the most; there was one moment before they had all gone their separate ways that made the old ache within her return.

_It had been a particularly hot day, and the three of them had been chasing after the wild boars around where they lived for almost two hours. Aran however didn't want to let that boar get away so easily, but Maha was spent._

_"Aran, can we please go home? I'm tired and hungry." Maha huffed as he leaned on his knees, heaving breath into his lungs while looking up at Aran._

_"You can if you want. I'm going to go after that boar." With a flip of his foot he tossed the halberd into his hand and began walking towards a mountain range at the far end of Leafre where the Dragon's Nest began. Helena rolled her shoulders and picked up her halberd, following after Aran with a brisk step. However Maha began heading back home with his own halberd dragging behind him._

_"So why exactly is it so important that we get this boar?" Helena asked once she had caught up to Aran._

_"Actaully I was trying to get Maha tired out enough that he would go home." Aran laughed reaching over to her waist and pulling Helena tightly to him, making her cheeks flare bright red. Helena had often questioned her hanging around with the boys, but as of late, was beginning to wonder if she was actually covering up her true feelings with the façade of a firm friendship. Part of her wanted Aran to let go, but another part of her wanted him to hold her closer, so for the moment she let herself be pulled close him as they walked to the mountains, still somewhat chasing after the boar but more so Helena followed Aran to a place that he wanted to show her. _

_For hours the two of them trekked up the mountains and down through gullies, constantly hearing the cries and roars of dragons in the distance. On one particular ledge, Helena couldn't quite reach to the next hand hold, instead finding that she was grabbing onto Aran's strong forearm and pulled up to the ledge where he was. But once she was standing on her own feet again, she suddenly noticed how close she was Aran, making her quickly back up only to find that her footing was no longer there She was just about to throw her weight forward to summersault but instead felt Aran's hand fly around her waist and pull her back onto the ledge, leaving no space between their bodies._

_"What happened? Did I scare you?" Aran laughed, shouldering his halberd again and continuing to climb while Helena tried to get her breathing and heart to calm, not answering Aran's question._

_"Aran, it's getting late, don't you think that we ought to head back?" Aran looked down from his spot on the cliff and shook his head._

_"Come on, we're almost there." Reluctantly Helena sighed and followed, feeling more and more that this was just a big mistake. It seemed like forever until the two of them finally reached the ledge that Aran was after, letting herself be helped up to the ledge that over looked the entire Leafre Forest and the Sea of Ludus bathed in shades of red and gold while the sun sank down over the horizon. _

_"Wow! This is an amazing view! You just want to stay here and stare at it forever." Helena sighed, watching as the small diamonds of sunlight sparkled off the waves and the trees swayed back and forth like a massive green sea._

_"It's even better in the morning."_

_"You're saying that we should come back here in the morning? We'd have to leave town at midnight just to make it up here, and that's when all the wyverns are out hunting. If it wasn't dangerous enough coming up here during the day…"_

_"Helena, I thought of that. That's why I brought these up here the last couple days." Aran said, showing her a tent that had been set up in cave not too far away from where they were standing._

_"Stay up here for the night?" Aran nodded, walking back to the cave where he started a fire and pulled from his knapsack an assortment of dried meats and a loaf of bread._

_"But won't this attract dragons to us?"_

_"Not if you stay in the cave. It has a barrier at the mouth just in case we are found." Helena smiled as she sat down next to the fire, warming her hands where Aran scooted closer to her._

_"Do you like me hanging around you guys?" Helena asked suddenly. Aran was taken aback slightly, sitting up straighter and leaning a bit away from her._

_"Where is this coming from?" Helena took a breath and continued on._

_"Well, I want you to know that I enjoy both Maha's and your company, but you're kind of a hard person to read sometimes so I wanted to hear from you whether or not you enjoy my company." Aran looked to be thinking for a moment before he turned to her and then kissed her firmly, putting his arm around her back and shoulders pulling her closer until Helena responded back, putting her own arms around him, pressing herself into him._

As Athena remembered, she slowly swung through the different stances that she and Aran had learned as kids, sweeping the blade through the tall grass faster and faster as the stances and moves became easier and more memorable. Sheets of tall grass fell to Athena's newly sharpened halberd faster and faster with each swing until her entire body was jarred from hitting something solid. Aran chuckled and lowered Maha, running his callused hand over the head and thumbing the edge.

"I didn't think that you still hung onto this Helena."Athena set the head on the ground and caught her breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead before nodding.

"I had actually forgotten about this for some time until Jenny was the one that had found it in my closet. It brought back quite a few memories of us from long ago." She swung the halberd around a few moments before once again brought to a body jarring halt when Aran held out Maha.

"May I ask what sort of memories?" asked Aran, resting Maha in the ground.

"Memories of when we first began training together, and how close we all used to be."

"Are you referring to all three of us? Or are you referring just to us?" Athena sighed happily and turned back to Aran.

"Both. I remember though that you were so dense that you never even noticed my interest at first." It was Aran's turn to laugh as memories he had sworn were lost came back to him.

"No, I noticed. I just wanted to see what it was that you would try." Athena's cheeks flared red, smacking Aran on the shoulder only to laugh herself. Athena grinned deviously before pulling back and holding the end of the shaft, swinging in a wide arch at Aran who quickly and easily back stepped to avoid the swing.

"You still talk too much." Athena pointed out.

"And you still like surprise attacks." Aran said in return. Athena set her halberd down, walking up to Aran and putting an arm around him, hugging him tightly, making the memory of that one night come flooding back to her again. However in the shadows unbeknownst to either of them, Eckhart sat watching the two of them, feeling lost and somewhat betrayed. Had Aran asked for that favor when Eckhart presented Athena with a Klain dinner just to go around him and get to Athena? No that couldn't be, he was still married to Lilin. Yet he still could shake the feeling in his own heart that Athena was leaving him for someone else. He knew the history the two of them shared, but was this the beginning of the end between him and Athena?

* * *

With the hour the Ticket's ship hovered down just outside of Showa where not many people were around offering the perfect area to land and hid the ship.

"Olsen's note sounded like something was up, so keep the ship on the lowest power possible and be ready to run in case we need to." Jack requested before walking down the gang plank.

"I sure will young un'. This here ship can run almost silent like, and you won't even know it was here." Jack just shook his head while rejoining the others where they had already met up with Olsen who quickly noticed Josephine's presence.

"You brought her with you why?" Olsen asked with an agitated voice.

"I asked to come." Josephine responded sharply. Olsen sighed heavily and then began telling them of what he had been able to find out.

"I talked to some of the people here in Showa, and most of the people here don't seem to know much about Black Crow accept that he's part of a legend from long ago about how Zipangu was created. Beyond that, they say that this new Black Crow is often seen appearing from a small swampy area behind Showa some of the people I spoke to say is the original village of Zipangu."

"Do you happen to know when Black Crow is seen?" Jenny asked, shifting the weight of her arrows slightly.

"The last I was able to find out was that he usually appears around the end of dusk, just as its getting real dark. So until then, I think that we could just walk around and see what Showa has to offer. Even though this guy isn't exactly the best of the bunch, he's still a human life and we need to protect those that we can." Reluctantly the six of them took Olsen's advice and toured the town, stopping in the little shops and even helping some of the people around town with their dilemmas that ranged from wanting to read a news paper that they couldn't get, to acquiring some expensive metal for a grocery keeper. Alden as well was enjoying himself, wandering around the town where he was able to play with many of the children of the town. As he wandered, he suddenly heard the cries of what sounded to be a cat.

"Please! Just let me go." She cried.

"Heh, you here that boys? The little kitty just wants us to let her go."

"Why do you keep coming after me? I've told you before that I don't like you!" Alden silently crept up to the four of them, peeking his head just far enough out that he could see what was going on from his vantage point behind some garbage.

"Look, I make sure that there is enough food for all of us cats here, and you have to make sure that you do your part as well. In return, all I ask is that you come by and visit me sometimes."

"You just made that up!"

"And what if I did? Besides, you'd be all alone without me."

"I'd rather be alone for an eternity than ever have to bare your kittens!" the first one shouted. The overweight fluffy cat extended his claws in a moment of anger ready to strike the twin tailed tabby being held in place by two more cats when Alden roared angrily, jumping from his hiding spot. Franticly the guard cats tried to flee but were pinned down under Alden's paws while he stood over the twin tailed cat, baring his fangs as a bright swirl of fire ignited on his horn.

"Have you no sense of honor, Cat?!" Alden roared. The fat cat backed away slowly, laying his ears back and hissing at him.

"What are you doing here Celion? D-d-d-do you know who you're t-t-t-talking to?" the fat cat stuttered. Alden clenched his jaw even tighter while leaning down to look him in the eyes.

"The question is, do _you_ know whom you are talking to?" slowly he took his paws from off the guards who bolted down the alley way followed closely by the fat cat who crashed into a trash can as he ran.

"I WON'T FORGET THIS CELION!" he called as he ran. Alden diffused the fire spell from his horn and carefully walked over the cat under him, laying down so as not to seem overly intimidating being nearly twice her size. The little cat was curled around herself for a moment, but with silence filling the air she cautiously pulled her head out and looked around.

"Who was that big white cat?" she asked herself, uncurling herself and shaking her head making the ripple seem to work itself down her body and into her twin tails.

"That would be me young miss." The twin tail froze and slowly turned around, shaking slightly until she was fully facing Alden.

"Th-that was you? You aren't going to hurt me are you?" she asked, backing away slightly. Alden snorted and jerked his head back in surprise.

"Hurt you? Why would I want to do that? If anything I wanted to protect you from them. No one deserves that kind of treatment." The twin tail smiled and looked down as though trying to hide that she was blushing, swishing her tails back and forth.

"I'm named Alden, what's yours?" the twin tail smiled and met Alden's gaze with her own innocent dark eyes before smoothing down her golden fur.

"My name is Amber, but everyone calls me Fraidy Cat because I guess I get scared easily."

"So what were that fat cat and his goons doing to you?"

"That 'fat cat' is named Boss, and he takes care of the stray cats of Showa, which aren't many. I'm a stray because when I was born I had two tails instead of one. Everyone says that makes me a bad omen so they always chase me, saying that I have some kind of evil power. Boss watched over me for a while, but then started asking me to come visit him sometimes where he would always make advances at me that I didn't like. Just then I think he was going to try and take what he wanted from me." Alden reached over and patted her head in a gesture of kindness.

"If indeed you do have power, I have a human friend that can tell you. And I'm sure that if you wanted, you might be able to come with us on out journeys."

"Do you think so?" Amber asked hopefully.

"I do believe that they would." Alden replied, leading his new found friend to Helen who could determine whether or not she had power. Amber grinned and put her tails into the air as she followed him, already liking him better than any of the cats she had met here in Showa.

* * *

Sunset brought jitters to the seven of them as they prepared to face their new enemy, but mostly because of the growing uneasy feeling that Olsen kept feeling as they prepared to enter the swamp behind the city. Matthew had spoken to some of the other villagers for anything he could and found something strange when he had helped a young woman named Mariwaka; she had told him that her father had been a police officer but one day disappeared when he began investigating a string of battery charges and threats against the citizens of Showa. The other thing that seemed strange was that she said that she felt exhausted because she hadn't been able to sleep at night. Carefully they walked through the swamp, looking over their shoulders everywhere while trying to keep an eye out for Dark Tail kitsune and water goblins that could make the area the most unpleasant in the Ossyria.

"What would you do if you were this Black Crow, Olsen?" Jack asked, taking a fighting stance and keeping his eyes glued to anything that moved.

"If it were me, I would wait until there were some of these creatures around to mask my footsteps. Once there was…" Something like the sound of footsteps could be heard walking away from them at a quick pace. Silently Josephine snuck away from them, hiding within a hedge so they wouldn't become wise to her purpose immediately. Holding the pendant up, a dim light glowed from within it, lighting the area around her with a pure, yet saddening light as The Mage's whispers growled as the light became brighter, making Josephine feel as if a presence were building within her. The light from the pendant began to spill out and create a form before her as the presence slowly left her body and give the light life, feeling almost as if her body were being turned inside out.

* * *

Olsen found that the footsteps did indeed belong to someone, dressed in a brightly colored suit wearing a mask with a huge nose. It was soon apparent that this person was heading for the house where Olsen had been earlier that day, hiding in the bushes for a moment as though looking for a way in. In a freakishly fast moment, Olsen grabbed the person and drug him back into the tree line, holding a dagger to his neck. But he was soon tossed off and had a handful of stars hurled at him. With a quick draw of his dagger, Olsen deflected the stars and threw his own in return only to hit a tree standing behind Black Crow, distracting him long enough to allow Olsen to close in with his fist glowing green. Black Crow held his hand up, mana quickly creating a sticky web of gold strands that instantly caught Olsen, holding him in mid air while Black Crow slowly walked up to him.

"MATTHEW NOW!" Olsen shouted. Black Crow looked around to find where this new enemy was coming from until he looked up and backed away just enough to have Matthew's Spartan slice off the huge nose on the mask then hit the ground with a thunderous rumble. Jack slammed into the ground with his own Thunder Punch further pushing Black Crow back without giving him time to counter any of them. Helen teleported before him, casting an ice spell over the ground making it become a sheet of ice at which Jenny then attacked, swinging her bow hard enough to create a wind that blew Black Crow into a tree and then was pinned down by arrows in his clothes. Helen melted the ice just as Black Crow was trying to break free when Jack cocked the Concerto and shoved it under his chin.

"Don't even think about it. You make one wrong move and I just may put one through your skull."

"Then do it already!" He said through grit teeth as Jenny and Matthew cut Olsen down from the Shadow web he had gotten caught in.

"DO IT! What else is there for me if I can't even complete one simple task?" Jack tensed his trigger finger when Olsen stopped him, pulling away the gun since the sound of Black Crow's voice caught his attention. He was about to reach for the mask when his senses began tingling, kicking Jack away and grabbing Black Crow as he bolt forwards just as a giant fist slammed into the ground where they had been a moment before. A groaning roar rose, as a giant gorilla-like creature stepped from the trees, stamping its smaller feet in anger. Jack picked himself up, shaking the dirt from his hair when Helen teleported to him and then away just as the beast looked at them and brought its fist down again.

"What in the world is that thing!" Matthew shouted, drawing his Sawtooth and unlatching the blade sections.

"It's a Yeti! If that thing gets into the city there's no telling what damage that thing could do!" Jenny shouted as she drew her bow and fired a quick spread of four arrows at its forearm. But that only made the beast angry as it swung its arm around, tearing down trees within its reach, stomping towards Showa. Matthew swung hard, extending the blade and wrapping it around the yeti's arms tightly and began pulling as hard as he could to keep the beast inside the swamp, finding himself being pulled along when the yeti reached back and hauled on the sword, hurling Matthew into an old abandoned hut. Once Helen made sure Jack was alright, she appeared before the yeti and held her arms wide, swinging them to the front. Placing one hand on her staff, threads of electricity fizzed in the air around her reaching out their cooked fingers to the beast and striking it hard enough to knock it down, leaving behind smoldering fur. After making sure that Black Crow would be able to run away, Olsen used the opportunity to grab his Double Knife, run up to the beast and make six slashes its fur, expecting blood to spurt from the wound, but instead watched as fur fell to the ground.

"What the…" Before Olsen could find out more, he was suddenly hit with the beast's hand and hurled into the forest head over heels, finally correcting himself by grabbing onto the first tree branch he could.

"HELEN! DO THAT AGAIN!" Olsen called. Helen spread her arm again, this time summoning a more powerful version of the lightning, but the beast jumped to its feet and began charging at her. Helen tried to speed up the spell, but it was something that required time, and if she tried to use another spell right now, she would waste the mana she had used in conjuring this lightning. The spell was just beginning to solidify as the beast locked its fingers together and began to bring down its fist when Jack ran up from behind Helen and hit the Yeti with a corkscrew punch, first twisting the fur and flesh of the beast and then knocking it back while it twirled.

"Jack! What have you done! This lighting spell will hit you!"

"Then hit my fist! I'll use it to…" he was suddenly interrupted when the Yeti came back and smacked Jack away, then began to smack at Helen. The spell rained down shafts of lightning, striking the beast's arm, making it pull his arm back and hold it in agony for a moment before swinging again in rage. Helen quickly teleported away just while Matthew dropped down in her place, calling up a steel wall from the ground, stopping the yeti's hand with a chest hollowing clang. Matthew then found himself knocked away when the Yeti moved around the wall and swung with his other hand, hurling him back into a tree. Jenny had been further back within the swamp, looking for a spot to fire from, drawing her spine arrow time and time again which only managed to graze the Yeti's fur making it angrier.

"Alright! I've had enough!" Jack shouted, pushing aside his mana as a red aura flared around his body. In a flash he ran at the Yeti and buried thunderous punches into the beast's hide, kicking it into the air and then slamming his fist into it, hurling it back into a bunch of vines. Jenny took a breath, pushing aside her mana as her body and bow were engulfed with a green aura, once again drawing her spine arrow that screamed into life. When she fired it, rings of air exploded from around the shaft, striking the Yeti's arms and making them disintegrate. While the beast writhed, Olsen's body flared in a hot pink aura, flaring hard around his claw as he threw his arm down and hurled two stars at the beast which tore through its fur and flesh easily, chasing the stars and cutting through the beast's thick fur to expose the tender flesh below. Helen held out her arms as a violet aura flared around her, her hair shimmering like water as her eyes glowed the same color, while large wings made of pure light sprouted from her back and rained down hundreds of feathers onto the yeti, pinning it to the ground. With a roar, winds tore around Matthew as a red aura swayed around him while hot flames tore into existence around his sword, so hot that the tree branches around him caught fire. Just as the Yeti had been pinned to the ground, Matthew leaned forward, running with blinding speed at it, swinging his sword through the middle of the beast hard. Near the beast's head, Matthew could be seen swinging his sword to the side, flinging the blood from the blade as it rang in a low note. Silence filled the air around them as the cut that Matthew had made slowly appeared up the beast, finishing at its head and allowing the two halves to fall apart from each other, each of them breathing a calming breath to make their crystal power subside once again.

"Where did you stash Black Crow?" Lillianne called after coming out of her hiding spot.

"She's over there, tied to a tree with an immobile knot."

"She? What do you mean 'she'?" Jenny asked, running through the swamp for a moment to catch the others. Olsen led them back to where he had tied Black Crow, laughing to himself as he reached up to the mask. When he pulled away the mask he smirked slightly and shook his head at the messy strands of ear length blond hair revealing Mariwaka dressed in the Black Crow attire.

"So it _was _you after all." Matthew commented as though solving a case. Mariwaka squinted her eyes shut and looked away from them in frustration.

"You wouldn't understand."

"I know plenty. Now, why are you going after Haido? It seems you have much more of a reason then just wanting his money." Olsen asked. Mariwaka turned back to him with anger in her eyes that only fueled the tears that ran down her face.

"That is no man in that office! He's a monster! Back when my father was still around, he used to say there was a group of people causing trouble all around Showa, demanding money for protection they rarely gave or tearing up the buildings and businesses that didn't pay. But the violence didn't stop with vandalism: it soon escalated until bodies began appearing around town of people who had been killed, saying it was because they didn't pay the 'protection' money. Once the bodies began appearing, people began paying the steep price that they demanded, however even then the bodies would still appear. After a few months my father found that it wasn't just anybody doing the killing, it was actually Haido's gang that would kill random people to keep everyone scared enough to bring in a steady stream of money and went to confront Haido. However at that time, his gang was still growing in power and relatively weak, but was not a force to be taken lightly." Mariwaka looked down to the ground and began to cry, but managed to stay her tears long enough to continue on.

"My father tried to arrest them, explaining that they were charged with the bloody murders of over a dozen people. Haido's only response was pulling a gun, shooting him in the head and burying him. Once he disappeared, the cops began looking into what he had been investigating: a few years would pass until they would find his body in the swamp near where I keep this costume. Again they tried to pin the murders on him and his group, but every time something seemed close to putting them away, the lead would turn into a dead end. For years I have been trying to find something that would put Haido away for good in his office, but everything that I've ever found was useless. I have managed to smuggle out a file from his office, and everything in it looks to be promising. That man deserves to be in my father's place for the things he's done!" Olsen sighed heavily, reaching up and pulling the arrows from her clothes before turning back to Mariwaka and putting a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back against the tree.

"I understand about wanting revenge, but if you do get your revenge there is nothing waiting for you except a black hole in your heart and a dagger in your hand. Haido will get what he deserves, but this is not the way to do it. Put away the costume, and live the life you were meant to have; I'm sure it's what your father would have wanted."Olsen words made Mariwaka break down, leaning against Olsen and putting her arms around him crying hard into the crook of his chest while Jenny came over to them and put a hand on her shoulder. Helen looked away slightly when she felt a tickle on her hand from Alden pawing at her hand.

"Oh, there you are Alden. I was wondering where you had run off to." Alden pawed at her hand again, signifying that he had something that he needed to tell her. Just as before, Helen knelt down and touched her forehead to his, pulling her into a vision of what Alden had seen about the little twin tailed cat with him. Helen smiled when the vision was over and looked over at the little cat, extending her hand to her who first looked at Alden then cautiously walked up to Helen. With a gentle pet, Helen sent a pulse of her own power through Amber, feeling for any signs of power that she might have and smiled when she indeed felt the small warm feeling buried deep with Amber's being.

"Yes Amber you do have some powers, but I do not think that they are quite ready for you to discover. When you are ready, Alden here will ensure that you can use your powers to their fullest." Alden placed a paw on her forearm, almost looking like were pleading with her while looking back and forth to Amber.

"Matthew?" Even though Matthew was still mulling over what was going to be done about Haido, Helen asked if Amber could be added to their group at the request of Alden. Matthew pinched the bridge of his nose as he knelt down to Alden's level to look him in the eyes.

"Alright, she can come. But, she's your responsibility." Alden tackled Matthew to the ground, licking at his helmet and face as Matt pushed him off.

"Where's Josephine?" Jack asked abruptly, looking around to try and find her. Quickly the others began looking around when Alden sniffed at the ground and found a scent that he wasn't familiar with, following it with Amber and the others close behind him. When they did find her, she was slumped over on the ground, hair in a mess and part of her shirt torn. Softly Helen began to heal the small scratches on her arms and chest, looking over the small pendant that she wore until she awoke.

"Make sure Mariwaka gets back to her studio safe. I'll meet you back in Herb Town." Olsen called, checking his equipment and tightening the belts down of his claw.

"Where are you going?" Jack demanded.

"I'm going to pay my employer a visit. Mariwaka here may have the guts, but she doesn't have the power; I'll make sure that he understands predicament."

* * *

With a heavy sigh Cygnus looked over the reports from her knights, wanting badly for the day just to be over so that she could relax in a hot bath while listening to stories from Shinsoo, or even taking a break again to go walk through the cooling gardens. But that really wasn't all she wanted to do. When she had signed the last report, she sighed contentedly and walked back to her quarters where she donned a much less formal, breezy dress in her favorite baby blue color before making her way to the gardens once again where she hoped that she would see Mihile. But as she walked, she couldn't find those massive shoulders covered with a white cloak anywhere within the gardens, making Cygnus's anticipation dwindle while walking to the same balcony she had been looking over with Mihile earlier that day.

"Would you care for some company, Mi Lady?" Cygnus face lit up with a smile when she heard a voice behind her, but stopped when she thought about the voice that had spoke: it didn't sound right.

"Yes, actually I could." There was a moment of silence until a cool hand pulled back her hair and then bushed the side of her neck making her shy away from the chilling touch as it sent shivers through her body.

"Was that a little too much of an advance my Empress?" The voice that time sounded nothing like the Mihile that she knew, but she was afraid of turning around to find out who is was that was talking to her. Her breath became shallow and short as the cool feeling came closer to her, picking up some of her hair and sounding as though he were sniffing it, making her shudder.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm no one to fear. But I think that you could allow me the luxury of giving me a bit of information." A moment passed as Cygnus felt the presence lean close to the side of her head, breathing in her scent up her neck then whispering into her ear as though kissing the side of her head.

"Where are Pillars of Time?" Cygnus shut her eyes as tight as she could, loathing every eternal moment as this man slid his cold hands down her arm.

"_Mihile, please, where are you?_" she thought. The man laughed as he slid his hand back up her arm, pulling aside her hair and breathing in her scent again.

"TAKE YOUR HANDS FROM HER!" Mihile's voice roared as his Solar Scythe screamed though the garden right where the man had been, scorching the gravel paths and burning through the hedges on the other side. Shinsoo landed hard in his protection state, baring his sharpened teeth while his claws sparkled in the setting sun. Cygnus stepped as close as she could to Mihile's back, trying to get the residual feeling of that man's hands out of her mind.

"I see that you are as sharp as ever, Mihile. It's a pity that you waste your abilities on such a feeble cause." Cygnus peered from around Mihile's back to see a slightly sickly looking Mihile standing before her.

"Silence! One more word out of you and I will unleash all my power onto you!" Light flared around Mihile in the shape of five swords, all pointed to the sky while circling him. The other Mihile's eyes smiled as he held up his hand, tearing what appread to be a cloak from around him and revealing The Black Mage standing before them, crossing an arm over his chest with a sick and haunting laugh fading into nothingness.

"Empress are you…" Mihile was cut off by Cygnus wrapping her arms around him and holding on as tight as she could to the armor that he wore that always felt like it was a warm robe to her.

"Mihile what took you so long to get here! I wanted to see you, but you weren't here, and then the Mage came here. It was as if you had gone and left and were never coming back…"

"Cygnus!" Mihile sternly called. Cygnus jerked her head back and stopped when Mihile grabbed the sides of her head and made her look into his reassuring blue eyes.

"I would never let anything happen to you. It is my duty as a knight to ensure…"

"That's not what I mean! I don't want Mihile, Knight of the Dawn. I want the Mihile that I saw during the festival of hearts, the Mihile that… that I know resides under this armor. I want Mihile the man to stay by my side, not as an order but as a request from a woman who has come to realize that remaining as empress and knight is nothing short of a torture." Mihile's face softened into a smile, stabbing his sword into the ground and removing his gauntlets before cupping Cygnus's jaw once again.

"That I will, Cygnus; That I will." Mihile whispered, tilting up her head and leaning down to alight her soft lips just as the sun was setting, warming not only Mihile's armor, but also warming Cygnus to her core: she had finally made the connection she longed for.

* * *

Haido nervously walked back from the window and sat as his desk while Asuma and Brent stood guard on either side of the door just outside his office. Sure he had the best security in Showa, but those loud sounds he had heard earlier coming from the swamp didn't make it any easier, not to mention that he was still dealing with a ninja here and he wasn't about to let him get the better of him. Quickly he reached into his desk and grabbed the silver platted revolver before walking to the window again, splitting the blinds to look out into the back yard.

"You look to be a nervous for a man with so much power, Haido." Olsen said, making the middle aged man whirl around to find him seated in his chair with his boots resting on the desk.

"Did you get rid of Black Crow?" Haido demanded. Olsen smirked, pulling the long nosed mask from under his arm and tossing it on the table, drawing his Double Knife and spinning it in his hand.

"You could say that. However there was some interesting information that he told be before he died; especially about a certain cop that you killed." Olsen smiled. Haido growled, cocked back the hammer and took aim when the door burst open and Jack shoved the end of his Concerto Di Morte into his temple, flaring red with crystal power.

"You shoot him and I spray your brain all over the wall." Gun hammers could be heard clicking into a cocked position when Olsen swung his arm and buried a star in each of the body guard's gun shoulders.

"Listen closely Haido; there were many lives that you destroyed on your way to becoming what you are. You are nothing more than an over bloated murderer that thinks he can get away with anything that he wants. I'll spare you the pain; I have plenty to deal with right now, but you should leave town and turn yourself over to the Knights of the Empress for the crimes against Showa. If you haven't left by the time I have finished with the Black Mage, you will be the next on my list." With a very restrained punch, Jack knocked Haido back into the wall while Olsen roughly pulled the stars from Asuma and Brent's shoulder.

"Get some stitches, you're going to need every last ounce of strength that you have if you are still here when I return." Asuma and Brent could only curl up from the pain as the two of them left their office with heavy footsteps. Haido grit his teeth and he pulled himself up from the floor, telling himself that he would kill that kid for threatening Haido Takamishi of the Aikeza.

"Jack, I told you that I would meet you back in Herb Town, why did you stay?" Jack just smirked, spinning the revolver around his finger and shoving it back into the holster.

"I couldn't let you have _All_ the fun." Jack smiled, leaning into Olsen and pushing him over

* * *

Eleanor was comfortably seated in Dragon's lap when The Mage appeared in the observing room from a wisp of black smoke.

"Ah, there you are. I had wondered where you had disappeared to master." Eleanor said happily, getting up and intentionally letting her thigh slide over Dragon's cheek as she reached for the goblet of her mana potion and handed it to The Mage. Whispers filled the air around them as he swallowed the cool potion.

"The Empress? A child? Is that a trait that pleases you Master?" Dragon asked as The Mage looked over at Dragon with contempt, murmurs weaving through the air.

"Every person has that child-like fear within them. All it takes is finding the right method to exploit it." Eleanor smiled, resting her chin on Dragon's Shoulder as The Mage silent looked out the window and sipped on the potion.


	10. Chapter 9: Knuckle Up!

Chapter 9: Knuckle Up!

The hiss of melting solder could be faintly heard on the far side of the garage where Abi sat soldering on a computer chip. She waiting for a moment to let it cool before continuing on connecting the three button control and joy stick assembly to the circuit board.

"What've you been working on the past few days Abi? Your new mech is gonna get rusty." Called Checky, tossing his heavy overcoat on the arm of their worn out couch.

"Actually I've been working on something that will totally blow you mind." She said, touching the iron to the board and melting on the button connections.

"Oh? And what is it that wall blow my mind so much?" Checky asked with interest, looking over her shoulder. Abi blew on the solder to make it cool faster, then screwed the buttons onto the circuit board, followed by the joystick and a small case which had a small LCD screen, covering the buttons when folded down. With a sly grin, Abi then slid the whole assembly onto her forearm and tightened down the straps so that the assembly was on top of her arm.

"This: it allows you to remotely control the mech and even call it to yourself." She said proudly, nodding towards her mech a hundred feet away in the docking clamps. She pushed the first button which was just behind the joystick and instantly her mech could be heard powering on, picking its weight up and walking over to them, stopping just a few feet from where they stood and powering down to stand-by mode.

"How did you manage that?" Checky asked.

"Oh it was easy really; all I really had to do was install a separate circuit that used a combination of the holographic targeting system to see and radar to map out topographical area so it wouldn't fall over and locate me. After that I programmed in a subroutine in the walking computer so that it could walk on its own and responded to the things it saw while on its way to me." Abi replied matter-o-factly. Checky could only shake his head in amazement that she could mention off everything that she did as though it were mere child's play.

"So what does the Joystick do?"

"That's the fun part! It allows you to control the Mech without even being in it. Of course it's a lot more difficult since you're not piloting it, but you can walk around and even shoot, watch." She pushed the second button on the arm band which powered the mech back up and the small LCD screen came on with the view from the Holographic targeting system. Pushing of the joystick, Abi's mech lumbered forwards walking with her direction to the training grounds. Once there Abi let go of the control stick, pressing and holding the third button making the arms of the mech swung straight out and the miniguns from inside the forearms rise and fire.

"Wow Abi, I never would have thought of that." Checky complimented, clapping a hand on her shoulder.

"Be sure to bring it with you, The Resistance is going back to the mines to try and find out what else has been going on in there. Reports from some of our scouts say that there are experiments and not just Rue Mining happening in there. We move out in 4 hours, so be ready." Checky called, walking off to perform final checks on his Mech while Abi excitedly jumped into her own mech and walked back to the garage, reloading the mini guns, tightening bolts and topping off fluids; today was going to be one of the days that she made a difference! Today, she would fight!

* * *

"COME ON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!" Jack screamed, slamming his fists into the ground time after time while chasing after Jenny as she continued to back away and avoid his deadly punches.

"How about this!" Lillianne shrieked, swinging her halberd parallel to the ground, mana spraying from the halberd into the wind that erupted from the swing and reshaped into a polar bear's paw. Jack disappeared in a streak of dust while Matthew appeared in his stead with Spartan Sword in hand, meeting Lillianne's Bear's Charge with his shield, sliding back through the earth as though it were ice because of the heavy impact. Helen waved her staff in the shape of a flaming star hanging in the air, summoning a fireball that scorched the grass as it screamed towards Olsen who ran up to Jenny. Quickly he pulled up his cloak, blocking the flames and hurled a set of stars at Helen who quickly rained down ice from the air to guard herself. Jenny grabbed her crossbow and fired a bolt into the ground then summoned a dummy to absorb the volley of slashes that Olsen unleashed at her. Just as Olsen finished, he disappeared when the ground erupted into a wall of arrows, turning the once smooth grassland into an uneven wasteland.

Helen was just about to begin another spell at Jenny when she felt the barrel of Jack's gun stick into her back. She turned her eyes back as her body glowed with a sacred golden light, deflecting the bullet that thundered from Jack's gun allowing her to teleport a short distance away and summon her lightning spell. Orbs of fizzing power came to life beside her before reaching out their crooked fingers with blinding speed. Just as the lightning was to hit, a giant Solar Scythe screamed between them and absorbed the attack making a Jack turn his attention to Matthew. Jenny held up her hand, focusing a large portion of mana on her palm which then shot into the air and pierced through the sky into another dimension, summoning a phoenix to her side which flew high into the air before folding in its wings and streaking like a comet to the ground, encircling Jack, Matthew and Helen in the midst of it. Above the tearing flames, a roar split the air, blowing out the flames from around the three friends as if it were a candle as Matthew's Dragon's Roar subsided. Lillianne appeared from nowhere, swinging hard at Matthew who dropped his Spartan and pulled the Sawtooh from his back, meeting Lillianne's deadly swing hard enough that the ensuing shockwave pushed the others back slightly.

Blood covered coins fell from the air around them but were unable to react fast enough as the bloody coins threw them all in different directions. Jack and Matthew tried to right themselves when they both felt Olsen's warm double knife pressed to their necks. Matthew planted his foot down and turned a hard, swinging the Sawtooth at Olsen's neck level, only to have the blade pass through his doppelganger. However Jack buried his elbow into Olsen's gut, giving him the room needed to turn and hurl his left fist around. Olsen's quick thinking prevented the punch as he held out his hand while a four pointed star formed and then dropped into the ground, absorbing Jack's punch and defusing the energy it had with it into the air as threads of spent mana. All six of them stopped for a moment, taking on different stances as they caught their breath. All five of Matthew's Warrior's Overcharge orbs circled his wrist, Jack's power charge buzzed slightly, and Lillianne's swing charge crackled as ice climbed its fingers up the axe head.

Lillianne looked around at her situation, slowing her breathing until it was that of being at rest when Jenny suddenly appeared behind Matthew, Emerald Power flaring from her body like a bond fire; her hair rippled as though it were green water, pulling up her crossbow and taking aim at Matthew's back. Lillianne's eyes went wide as she took a battle step back, and Matthew's body flared with Ruby Power, his hair rippling as well, holding up his shield arm while winds curled around him and blocked the incoming arrow. Jack's body flared hard, followed by Olsen in a hot pink flame, and at last Helen in a violet flame, each of their hair rippling as though it were water. Lillianne's legs itched and her shoulders felt stiff wanting to get right into the thick of battle and continue to train with them, even though they had been training together for nearly 4 hours. But now that they had pushed aside their mana for Crystal power, there was no way that she would be able to keep up with them; if anything she just may end up getting herself killed. For a few moments, the five of them hurtled through the air like comets of color, spells and weapons clashing with each other igniting the grass all around them in hot flames. But the fire didn't last long as the wind created from their attacks blew it out and revealed the five of them standing in a circle around Lillianne as they put away their crystal power and returned to a normal state.

"I'm so jealous of you guys. You all are so awesome on your own in which I'm the most powerful of you. But then you can leave me in the dust with a snap of your fingers once your mana runs out. I doubt that I will ever be able to keep up with you when you're using Crystal power." Lillianne called, walking over to Matthew as he picked up his Spartan sword and put his Gaia cloak back into its cloak form.

"In all honesty, it's not really that much of a blessing. Yes it does empower us far beyond what we are normally capable of, but in the end our bodies are nearly at their limit once our Mana has run dry. Using crystal power is only useful as long as we have the energy to use it." Olsen called as he wiped the sweat from his face. Still Lilliaianne couldn't help but feel that she was being more of a burden to her friends since she would never be as powerful as them.

"I still believe that you are a great warrior Lillianne. Your friends, the Guardians, are learning to hone their skills to even greater heights because of you. Never underestimate yourself." Josephine softly said as she walked with Lilin to bring them all a jug of cool lemonade and a letter with a wax seal.

"Who's the letter for?" Asked Jenny, gulping down a mouthful of the tart liquid.

"It's actually addressed to all of you from Spiegelmann. He has just opened up a new Theme park called Training Safari and would like you six to come and fight through as his honored guests for its Inaugural Opening."

"Who is Spiegalmann?" Helen asked as she leaned against who she thought was Jack.

"Spiegalmann is the wealthiest man in all of Ossyria! How can you not know who he is Helen?" Lillianne exclaimed.

"You must remember that I and my friends are not from this world, so names of the wealthy or famous may sometimes not be recognized." She answered, turning around to see that she was not leaning against Jack, but rather Olsen. Quickly she stood up and backed away, blushing brightly as she walked for Jack.

"Forgive me Olsen." She mumbled, making certain that he couldn't see her face, but she was unable to still the uncertain feeling that she suddenly felt.

"Well then, what are we doing here? We've got a grand opening to go to!" Jack called happily, taking the bandana from his head and throwing his hair from his face, letting it dry in the breeze from becoming soaked with sweat. Josephine smiled slightly, watching how the six of them interacted with each other: This was their family; this is what it was to become part of a greater existence than just you. She felt a stab of magic shoot through her like a needle: she knew that power, and it wasn't a feeling that she liked. Excusing herself, she ran into the tree line and followed that feeling until she found Lord Dragon and Mistress Eleanor standing near a tree that had fallen down.

"Ah, there you are. How are you adjusting to life among humans?" Eleanor asked smoothly. Josephine only scowled back at them in anger and disappointment.

"What do you want?" She asked, wanting them gone from her life. Dragon sneered, reaching for his Dume, but took a breath to calm himself.

"The Mage wants you to remember that your life here is only temporary, and it is quickly running out. Do you want your life to just end?" Dragon asked. Josephine clenched her fists tightly, thinking back over the previous month of experiences she had encountered with not only the guardians and their mission to stop the Black Mage, but also with their students and the children of the village. Just to have all of those memories disappear was something that she wasn't willing to let go of. However in the same thought was her desire to keep all of those people safe and alive, making even more memories with them. What was she to do with these two paths that crossed within her?

"Yes I am well aware of my short life."

"Then you will have no problem going with them to this grand opening." Eleanor smirked. Josephine quickly looked up at her, realizing what it was that going with them meant.

"But what about all the people that will be there?" she inquired, seeming to be genuinely concerned. Dragon scoffed and closed his eyes, turning to leave.

"That will be up to them; whether they live or die is completely their choice." Dragon thrummed. Josephine was stunned: they had so little regard for life beyond that of the Guardians that it was mind numbing.

"Is there a problem Josephine?" Dragon asked with a cold sneer from over his shoulder. Josephine only shook her head while walking back to the others; yes she enjoyed her life as a human, but if it came at the cost of others, was this a life worth having?

* * *

"So tell me again what our cover story is?" Abi asked as she bumped along while laying down in her own mech on the sled pulled by Checky's.

"We're bringing in a new type of Mech that needs beta testing at the mine front before it goes into full scale production, which is your Mech Abi."

"And why am I lying down on this sled under a tarp when I should be able to just march on in with you?" Checky could be heard sighing over the com as if he were dumbfounded.

"Abi, you do know that you're on the Black Wings wanted list right? You mowed down two majors, ten soldiers and injured a general: do you really think that going in with your face open to them is the best idea?"

"But they're going to want to look at my mech to get through security."

"No they won't. I'll just tell them that the mech has a new A.I. system and is in standby. The tarp is made of a special material that keeps the mech immobile and if the tarp is removed before I say so, then it will get up and start drilling at the first wall it sees." Abi blew away locks of hair that drooped over her eyes with an agitated huff when Daren's voice crackled over the com.

"Quiet you guys, we're nearing the mine." Slowly the sled came to a stop while Checky could be heard over the com talking to the mine marshal. The two of them talked for a bit before the sled once again lurched into motion and the light from outside the tarp became steadily darker. Ten minutes passed before the sled stopped again and Checky pulled off the tarp from over Abi's Mech.

"Alright Abs, you know this mine better than any of us, so lead the way." Once her mech had fully powered up, she pointed them down a hall where the miner's barracks were where two of the other mechs with them clomped off.

"Down this tunnel here is where the main digging force is, and over there is where I guess you could say is the officer's quarters: a nicer area that has all the best equipment and ventilation." Abi explained, looking down at her HUD for any sign of unfriendly visitors while Checky began explaining orders.

"Daren, you go with the others to the barracks: see who needs medical attention the most; get them outta here first in the mechs and get them back to the garage. Then I want you and the other battle mages to take the ones that can walk outta here as quick as you can back to town. Belle, you and the other hunters are with me and Abi. We're going to the dig face and getting as many as we can out of here." Belle and the other hunters nodded as they dismounted the sled as well from hiding in small cubby holes all around where Abi lay. It wasn't easy to remain quiet, especially since the steps of the mechs were loud and clunky, as well as the engines humming louder then they wanted. Another few minutes went by as they walked down further and further into the mines, seeing something that resembled androids walking around stiffly as well as some people who appeared to be catatonic or dazed, taken away by the truck load in the opposite direction.

"_What happened to those people?_" Checky wondered as he continued to walk down into the dark while the sounds of machines became louder and louder as they neared the mining face. Abi impatiently activated the minigun on her left arm when she saw one of the guards shove a small group of people forward who tended to the drilling and scooping mechs.

"Take it easy Abi. You open fire here and you'll do more damage than good; the bullets will ricochet everywhere." Abi growled and retracted the minigun, seething at the sight of the guard as he continued to push the people around.

"I know you want to just let loose, but not yet. Belle, are you guys in place yet?"

"_Ten seconds Mike Alpha._" Belle radioed as she and the other hunters slinked though the dark of the tunnels.

"_Whiskey Hotel Alpha here: we're in position._"

"Alright: Abi, stick to your hands and keep the fighting as short as possible. Belle, keep anybody else that we don't see off our backs." The forearms on Checky's mech clicked and transformed, locking together as he raised them over his head.

"HEY BLACK ANT! HEADS UP!" Checky yelled through his outside com, slamming the jet powered fists into the ground.

* * *

It was as if they were royalty: 'The Six' were greeted so warmly and with such a roar from the crowd that they had to look around to see in if the Empress was here.

"Guardians! Welcome to Spiegalmann's Training Safari! I am your host, Marcus Spiegalmann!" a short, tubby man shouted as the crowd once again shouted loud enough to echo through the mountains in the distance.

"To commemorate the opening of the Safari, I would like the Guardians here to be the first group to enter this fine facility. How does that sound?" the crowd once again cheered as they waded through the sea of people towards the stage where they were directed to stand before one of three gates.

"I don't think that I have the power to go with you." Josephine mumbled as she stepped back from them and stood with the crowd. Jenny nodded her understanding, loading an arrow into her bow, waiting for the gates to open as wind curled around her bow and arms while flashes of bright light ignited all around her. Josephine backed away slightly and looked to the ground, knowing what was about to happen through her.

"_I'm sorry my friends._" She thought just as a loud buzzer cut her thoughts short and the six of them charged into the gates, instantly met with a mob of mana creations from the lowest levels of the Ludibrum Clock Tower but easily pushing the lot of them back away from the entrance. Once the gates closed, giant plasma screens came on and showed their progress as they cut, punched, shot and hurled each of the creatures back. Jack looked as though he had taken the lead for the first room, gathering what monsters he could into one corner followed quickly by Matthew or Jenny who would tire them out before breaking off and letting Helen, Olsen or Lillianne finish off the mob with just a few strikes.

"Wow, folks: The Guardians are powering through them as though they were nothing! I can't believe my eyes!" From outside the arena The Six could hear the crowd roar as they finished, passing into the next room where even more monsters waited for them. However, as they fought through the monsters inside, Josephine couldn't help but feel like a monster herself as she stood within the crowd, wanting to cheer them on but at the same time telling herself that she had no right. Suddenly her pendant began to glow making her grab it to hide the glow which signified what she feared most. Panic stricken, she looked for a bathroom, a booth, anything to hide so that she wouldn't put so many innocent lives in danger or find a way to stop the pendant all together.

* * *

The Mage smiled as he watched Josephine in his crystal ball run in vain to hide and then look down at the crystal in her hand: Whether or not she wanted this, she had no choice. She _would_ be the portal he created her to be. And no matter where she ran, no matter how she squirmed, there was nothing that she could do to stop it. Holding his hand up, mana swirled from his palm and disappeared into the crystal ball making the pendant's glow become brighter while Josephine could be seen twisting and fidgeting in what appeared to be pain.

* * *

Josephine closed her eyes and wrapped her hand around the crystal harder, trying to suppress the shine that was steadily becoming brighter.

"Please, you don't have to do this!" She begged, but no matter her pleading, the crystal steadily became hotter until it was too hot for her to hold and burnt her hand, making her drop it around her neck once more. An instant later the light from the crystal began to leave it and open a portal before her allowing the creature that the Mage had chosen for them to defeat, making her body writhe and curl in pain.

Just as she was running out of mana, Jenny pulled her bow tight while flames ignited around it and Helen faced her palms toward the fearful Thanatos Guard as her Wings of Light formed on her back. Sharp feathers rained onto it, pinning him against the door while Jenny's arrow slammed into his chest, cracking the armor around his aura-like form. Lillianne streaked past them with a battle step, concentrating the energy around her halberd then releasing it in a beam, hitting the arrow and driving it through his armor, obliterating him while his hissing roar fading off into the air followed by the crowd's own far off sounding roar.

"Are… you guys… okay?" Lillianne huffed as the others tried to catch their breath.

"Yeah. I'm gonna… need a nap… after this." Jack panted, holstering his gun as Matthew rolled his neck.

"All in all… I think… that this will… offer us a better… training grounds for us than… fighting against ourselves. We'll have to come back here some time." He said, sheathing his Spartan sword and walking to the gate, pushing it open to the crowd that pressed to them even though the security of the place did their best to hold them back to let them at least exit the grounds. Helen unexpectedly felt a disturbance, but she wasn't quite sure what it was: it felt similar to the summoning spell she used for the dispelling method, but it was somehow warped. Jack noted her sudden change in demeanor, and leaned close to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"It may be nothing, but I have felt a warped summoning spell somewhere…" her sentence was cut short as a huge form began to grow in a bright green light from behind one of the buildings in the park, its screeching roar shattering the windows within every building there. The light then shattered as though it were glass revealing a huge Manon dragon slamming down onto its fore feet, lifting its massive wings into the air as it drew in its breath, fire belching to life at the back of its throat. Olsen quickly slid before it holding up his cloak just as the massive blast of flame thundered from its mouth, deflecting it into the air. Helen and Lillianne quickly began herding people out of the park while Matthew tried to begin the Mana Overdrive sequence. However just as he was beginning to sync up with Lillianne, his mana ran dry and the sync broke.

"Matt! What happened?!" Lillianne called as she ran up to him as he knelt panting on the ground.

"I'm out of mana." Lillianne reached into her bag and pulled a Mana restorative, pulling the cork off and spitting it out in a random direction.

"This should restore enough that we can at least do some damage before you run out again." Matthew nodded, not really wanting to use a Mana restoring potion but the situation called for action, not worry. Quickly he downed the entire bottle which made his body glow a bright blue for a moment as a portion was restored. Matthew then quickly activated the overdrive as he launched forward and brought his Sawtooth down hard on the dragon, cutting through its scales allowing Jenny to fire her Spine Arrow and Helen her Sacred arrow, passing straight though its body. Jack and Lillianne ran up under it, Lillianne swinging her halberd up and launching the Manon with a wave of ice which Jack then used as a spring board to slam his fist into its belly, launching it into the air. Olsen then used his jumping hexes to propel him into the sky just as the Manon was reaching the peak of its climb and slammed his glowing green fist into its face while the ghost sank into its body. As the Manon began its decent, Olsen disappeared while pings could be heard from all around the dragon, cuts appearing in its skin in 15 different places just as the Mana Overdrive broke and Matthew once again ran out of mana. Helen used what mana she had left and teleported Olsen in stages back down to the ground since his mana as well was gone. The Manon slammed into the ground, crushing buildings as its wings came down and blewing out the flames that had ignited from its fire breath being deflected in a cloud of hot ashes.

"Did we get him?" Jenny asked as she reached for another arrow.

"We better have, I'm not drinking another one of those Mana resorting potions. I feel like I'm about to hurl." Matthew said, leaning against the Sawtooth like a walking stick. Josephine came running out from behind one of the buildings with part of her face, left arm burned as well as her right hand, crying great tears that streaked her face.

"Josephine! What happened?" Lillianne asked as Helen summoned up the last of her mana and created a cube of ice to cool her burning skin while still trying to catch her own breath.

"I don't really know. I went to find a bathroom when this Manon appeared from nowhere and tried to hit me with its flames. He got my arm and hand, but I couldn't move out of the way fast enough." Helen felt sorry for her, and reached for her Amethyst power as her hair shimmered and her eyes glowed violet, calling on her healing spell to repair the damage done to her skin. Olsen's senses suddenly tingled, rushing for Lillianne and Josephine, pulling them away from their place in an explosion of pink flames. Helen teleported away while Jack, Jenny and Matthew ran back as the jaws of the Manon slammed into the ground where they had been a moment before.

"So I guess we didn't get it. Then there's no choice." Jack huffed, pushing his mana aside and reaching for the Ruby power which flared around his body like a flame while his cloak materialized around his fists in the Hammer Fist form. Matthew did the same, as his Sawtooth flared from each of its connection points with a bright red steam, activating his cloak's shield form. Jenny drew her bow as it flared bright green while a spine arrow hummed to life in her hands, making her cloak reform on her bow as the tension arms. Olsen's cloak snapped onto his claw as a blade made of flames on its side, pale pink flames roaring around his body while his eyes glowed with a hot pink light. He threw his arm down and forced the power into the star making it grow enormous while it began spinning so fast that it whistled in a high pitched scream. Helen turned to the beast as giant wings made of violet light spread from her back and a hot flame ignited on her staff.

"This ends here!" She growled, holding her staff parallel to the ground as gears began forming all around them, grinding into motion while fire roared from in between their teeth, locking the Dragon in place. The Manon began to try to back away when his tail was pulled through a cog set, cut off easily as though it were nothing. Quickly he turned his eyes to the sky and launched into the air but was brought back down to earth when Jack slammed his heavy fist into the dragon's body. Olsen leapt into the air and spun parallel to the ground, launching the huge star which cut through the dragon's side like a saw blade while flying up into the air and returning to make another pass on the opposite side. The Manon turned to try and attack the star but was instead met with Jenny who first fired a bomb arrow at its chest, then drew her bow hard while a hurricane of green wind gathered into her bow of tribal designed light.

Helen hovered into the air just as Jenny released the churning wind arrow with her wings of light spread wide; a hailstorm of feathers rained down on the dragon from above, pinning its back to the ground while the wind arrow burrowed though its body and exploded out of its back into the ground. Matthew unhooked each section of his Sawtooth wrapping it around the dragon's neck, picking it up and throwing to the ground again as hard as he could. When it hit the ground, he then dug the ends of the sword into the ground to hold his head in place. Once they were all sure that the dragon was secure Matthew drew his Spartan and walked slowly to his neck at his shoulders while his Spartan sword was engulfed in bright golden light, humming with ruby power. Just as Matthew raised his sword to unleash his Solar Scythe, the dragon pulled free of his restraints and reached for him with unnatural speed. Jack was vigilant enough that he was able to run in and pull Matthew out of the way just in time making the dragon miss, tearing the ground to shreds where he had been standing a moment before. Olsen held out his arm while the star he had thrown came back to him and shrank back down to its normal size.

"Alright then; Jack! When I say now I want you to hit the ground as hard as you can right next to that dragon!" Olsen commanded. Jack nodded and began pummeling the dragon and hard as he could, gathering energy around him in a sphere until Olsen shouted his signal. With a mighty Thunder Punch to the ground, he caved it in leaving the dragon hanging in the air for a moment: just the time needed for Olsen to draw his dragger and spare kunai, disappearing in a streak of dust. Matthew jumped into the air, pulling his Sawtooth together again while Helen teleported just under him. With one hard swing, a shockwave split the air in a rush towards the dragon while Helen mixed a poisonous flame into the center of the shockwave, amplifying it a hundred fold. Jack drew his pistol then used the kickback to launch himself out of the bowl where the dragon was falling into. Finally Jenny aimed her bow to the sky, letting the powerful arrow into the sky which then split and rained down a thousand arrows from above while Jack created a gargantuan grenade, the size of a beach ball, pulled the pin and tossed it into the pit.

Olsen appeared on the far side of the crater, both of his knives dripping with the bluish purple blood of the Manon while the entire underbelly of the beast split open and his innards spilled out in a wet mess. Matthew and Helen's attack was the next to hit, forcing itself down the dragon's throat and into its stomach where the flames could be seen breaking through the flesh as though it were cracking. Jack's grenade and Jenny's arrows hit at the exact same time making what remained of the beast become engulfed in a wall of flames, glassing the ground and erupting straight into the air. For a few moments, all five of them stood and watched as embers and ash fall from the sky like snow, covering the ground like a blanket while they all took a breath, subsiding the crystal power with their hair returning to their normal colors of green, red, pink and violet. Josephine shivered slightly, inspired and terrified of the power that they had displayed while Lillianne attended to her burns that were missed before Helen had to re-engage the Manon.

"That was interesting. We're actually almost near the El Nath Mountains and Leafre is all the way across the Nihal Desert; what is a Manon dragon doing all the way over here?" Olsen asked as he knelt next to Josephine and helped to bandage her wounds on her arm. Josephine tried as best she could to hide the crystal hanging around her neck while it still had a small glow within it, just faint enough to go unnoticed by the others.

"It doesn't really matter right now how it got here right now. At least everyone is safe." Matthew interjected as Lillianne and Olsen helped Josephine to her feet.

"What about you guys? Are you alright?" Josephine asked, looking around at everyone feeling slightly frightened by them since they would no doubt be able to tear her apart if they ever found out who she really was. Helen smiled warmly as she came over to her and placed a hand on her unburned shoulder, squeezing gently to add reassurance.

"We are uninjured Josephine. I, at least, am glad that you were not injured further." Josephine looked around at the others who all nodded in agreement, making her break out into an unexpected smile. Inwardly, she still shuddered at what her true purpose for being with them was.

* * *

"CALL THE MARSHAL! WE HAVE A BREECH OF SECUR…" the Officer was cut off when a rocket powered fist slammed into the wall next to him and collapsed the wall, burying him under rocks the size of a truck. The fist of Abi's mech was pulled back into the forearm and clamped back down, refilling with fuel and reconnecting the synthetic nerves in the hand.

"Checky we need to get outta her now! The whole thing is about to come down on us." Checky grit his teeth as he got to his mech to its feet, pulling up his arm and activating the minigun which cruised up from his forearm.

"Checky, what are you doing? You said that…"

"I know what I said, but we need to get out of here now and there is only one way that is going to happen. Bravo Mike Alpha, how is your side coming, over."

"_Bravo Mike here; So far we've been able to get out 30 people and sending them back to town with the Mech escorts. However we have 10 people left beside the other Mages with me and we've been pinned down by Black Ants._"

"Whiskey Hotel Alpha, get your hunters together and help out Deren, get the gems to safety!"

"_What about you and Abi?_" Belle radioed. Chekcy looked out from the hiding pocket and held up his arm, firing rounds at a wall of Black Wings Officers while turning around and hiding behind the opposite wall.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT US JUST GET THE REST OUT OF HERE!" Checky screamed as he reached out again and fired once more, providing cover for the hunters as they sprinted past the tunnel for Deren and his company.

"Great, now what are we going to do about the ones that are here with us Checky?" Abi asked as she activated the miniguns in her mech and opened fire on the officers swarming in from behind them. Checky looked back at the 15 people with them and opened his hatch, kneeling down to their level.

"Do any of you know how to drive a drill mech?" three people raised their hands, reluctant to do so sweating with fear. Quickly Checky looked around and saw a few drill mecha standing silently near the mining face.

"Alright! The three of you that can drive get to those mechs and bring them back! We're going to be making a run through those mages! GO GO GO!" A smoldering ball of flames slammed into Checky's Mech's shoulder, melting through the joint and fusing it together making him reach over and hold his shoulder. Quickly he turned with his good arm and fired into the group of mages that had come, leveling a few before turning back around and hiding, cradling his shoulder as though he himself had been hit.

"Oh, Man. That's a down side to those nanites; you feel everything! Computer, disconnect right arm and divert remaining power to the legs." The computer beeped for a few moments and his arm suddenly felt better, making him sigh in relief.

"HOW ARE THOSE MECHS COMING?!" Checky asked as he periodically turned and fired on the group of black wings officers closing in.

"They're up!" Abi called, holding down her hands to the people there as three of them got on and were brought up to the cab.

"Position lock, engage standby!" Abi yelled to the computer as she opened her hatch and helped the people into her cab while the other mech drivers did the same.

"Is that it?!" Checky asked as the last of the people were loaded into the other mechs.

"I think so." Abi called as her cab hissed shut and re-activated into battle mode.

"No! There's still one more boy! He might be stuck in the officer's quarters since he was taken there for discipline!" one of the miners screamed over the gunfire through the com line of the drill mech. Checky shook his head and smacked the top of his cab down, syncing up with the communications of the Drill Mechs.

"Alright, you three go with Abi back to town. I'm going back for the boy; follow her instructions to the letter! You deviate in the slightest and I will kill you myself do you understand?!" The three pilots nodded and ran after Abi and she plowed through the line of soldiers, running back for town while Checky ran to look for the boy within the barracks. However when he made it there, he found that he wouldn't be able walk in with his mech, needing to hurry since the mine was quickly becoming unstable. As he searched, he called over and over again, running through the rows of desks until he heard a young voice calling out for someone. When he found the young boy, it was actually a young girl dressed as a boy with short hair who looked up to him with thankful eyes. For a brief moment, Checky's memory flashed back to when he was a child and saw the face of his youngest sister Ellee until he girl wrapped her arms around him. He was brought out of his trance and ran back through the sea of desks when something on one of them caught his eye. As he ran he reached out and grabbed the photo from off the desk while jumping up into his mech.

"Stand-by disengage, safety override One Charlie Alpha Two Zulu." He shouted, not taking the time to put on his belts which was what the safety override code was for: he needed to get out of there now! As fast as he could, he ran back to the entrance of the mine while rocks began falling, crashing down around him making it increasingly hard to run back as he leapt over piles of rock, boulders and abandoned machinery, especially with one bum arm.

"Are we gonna make it?" the little girl asked as she sat in the crook of Checky's arm, but Checky didn't answer, trying to run as fast as he could and use every last ounce of concentration on getting to the exit which was quickly coming up with the daylight shining in like a bright beacon. But just as he was about to get out, rock from around the entrance fell and blocked of his means to get out. Quickly he fired his left fist into the rocks only to have it bounce off the rocks and ricochet back into the knee joint of the mech, breaking it and bringing him to the ground. Once his fist had retracted he slammed it down onto the ground, making the ground crack under his fist.

"I'm not giving up just yet Ellee!" Checky growled, even though his leg felt like it was on fire, he pulled the wounded mech forward and beginning to dig through the rubble in front of him. However as he dug, a large rock fell from the roof and smashed through the remaining arm, breaking it at the elbow and stretching the shoulder joint beyond function. Checky grit his teeth when, feeling his own shoulder and arm burn with pain.

"Engage Stand-by." Checky screamed through his teeth. Once the standby had been activated, the pain ceased and rest of the mech collapse to the ground, shutting the mech down while the girl in his arm looked up at him with a whimper.

"We aren't getting out of here are we?" Checky hung his head before shaking it sadly.

"No, we aren't. I'm so sorry." For a few moments the two of them stayed still within the cab, red lights pulsing within the cab showing the damaged parts of the Mech. The girl re-situated herself within the cab and looked Checky in the eyes, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Who is Ellee?" she asked innocently making Checky look up and smile.

"She was my youngest sister."

"Is she still alive?"

"I don't know. The last time I had ever seen her was when she was a little girl, no older than yourself after our entire family had come down with a bad sickness and it killed everyone. Ellee had gone all the way to Leafre to get some medicine, but our entire family died before she got back. I thought I was going to die myself, and for a little while I thought I had died until the medicine she had brought and poured some in my mouth kicked in. When I woke up, Ellee was gone. I searched for a week but didn't find anything and when I returned, all of their bodies had been freshly buried. Since then I've always accepted that she was dead."

"Then why did you grab this?" the girl asked, picking up the picture from the floor of the mech and holding it up so he could see it within the light of the LCD screens inside the cockpit. Checky took the photo and held it up to one of the screens, trying to use his own imagination to filter out the distortion that the screens projected and managed to 'see' the detail of a woman's face with what appeared to be shoulder length white hair, full dark lips and alluring features.

"_It can't be! That's..._" But his thought was cut short when the rock that had piled up in front of the mine was suddenly pulled away by a huge hand time and time again until they found themselves being lifted high into the air. When Checky looked up, Abi was smiling hugely with her mech connected to the SG-88 external armor, using it to dig him out from the rubble.

"You are one tough cookie you know that?" Abi laughed as she turned around and set him down while the others came over and pulled off the roof to the mech and pulled out the girl while Abi deactivated the SG-88 and hopped out of her mech over to Checky.

"We did a lot today Checky. But this is only one mine out of 20; we still have a lot of work to do." Checky laughed and slapped her on the back with a thankful hand.

"Go on and get her back to town and take my mech with you.." Abi grinned and jumped back into her mech, throwing what remained of Checky's over her mech's shoulder and walking back into town. As they left, Checky reached into his back pocket and pulled the picture he had grabbed earlier and looked at the writing on the bottom that he had missed the first time that read 'My Sweet Eleanor'.

"_Eleanor? How can that be Eleanor the Black Witch? That's my youngest sister Ellee! She's Alive!_"

* * *

"General, your presence is requested." The young girl held up her fingers and then blew off the fingernail dust after filing them to a perfectly round shape, tossing one of the long pigtails back over her shoulder while reaching for her hat, still slightly weak after being awakened from her long suspended animation nap.

"This had better be good." She muttered as she levitated out of her office and followed the two highest ranking officers under her towards the mining face where all the miners backed away as she came into their area, revealing the remains of a marshal and a few of his soldiers.

"This? This is what you called me out for? You called me out to see a few dead bodies?!"

"Forgive my interruption General, but our security footage shows that it was the…"

"I don't care WHAT it said! Just calling me out here to see something like this does not interest me!" the girl shouted. One of the officer's badges began glowing, making him mumble something into it and then nod to one of the lower ranking officers who escorted the miners away from the face while the young girl turned and began floating after them.

"General Orca, where are you going?"

"I'm going back to my desk. Calling me out here just to see some weak officer's bodies is not something that I find worthy of my…" her comment was cut short when commanding hiss made her stop in mid stride and turn around with a pale white face, instantly bowing her head and crossing her hand over her chest in respect.

"Black Mage sir." She said, vastly subdued from her normally stuck up attitude. The Mage questioned as to what had been found, walking over to the bodies, hovering his hand over the shell as his eyes narrowed.

"We aren't sure yet Mage, but our security cameras say that it was the doing of the resistance faction who destroyed Mine 4." The Mage instructed the soldiers to take it to Gelimer to find out if there was anything that these corpses could be used for. The commander nodded and helped load them onto a truck. The Mage watched as it disappeared into the mines, Orca noticing the change in his attitude while at the same time saw how he watched the truck leave then turn his eyes towards the digging face, narrowing his eyes.

"Mage, sir?" Orca asked; she followed his line of sight not seeing anything particular until she began concentrating, feeling for anything out of the ordinary. She turned to the Mage for a moment, noting how he narrowed his eyes even further until she felt a tinge of something: she knew that power, but couldn't remember where she had felt it.

* * *

As usual, The Six were swarmed by children of the village begging and prodding for stories of their adventures or pulling on their arms asking to play 'Last Battle' with them again, a game that they never seemed to get tired of no matter how many times they played it. However as they entered the heart of the village, the Masters stood all in a row, each one of them having a scroll with their names printed in fine calligraphy across the side.

"Hey guys, what are those?" Jack asked as Kyrin walked up to him and held out the scroll to him.

"These scrolls are invitations from the High Elders themselves. They have heard about your exploits throughout Ossyria, and have asked to teach you the Fourth Degree of your discipline. For you Jack, High Elder Samuel shall be the one to teach you all that you need. When I was a teenager, I too learned from him to become the Pirate that I am today." Jack reverently slid the ribbon and gold seal from around the scroll and read the finely printed writing there.

_Sir Jack,_

_I, High Elder Samuel of Ossyria, want to offer my regards to you as the Guardian Pirate of Ossyria. I never thought that I would see such a day as this when the Black Mage would be defeated once and for all. Your heart is strong and your will is unbendable, however there are some things that I must teach you and make you aware of as your responsibility to Ossyria becomes greater with this training. Come to the Priest's Forest in Leafre two days from now. I await your arrival, Jack._

_Samuel_

Jack could hardly contain himself has he read over the words within the scroll, stomping around as though her were a little boy before beginning to dance around in a wide circle.

"Jack, you do know that you will have to show much more respect when you go to see the High Elder don't you?" Aran asked seriously. Jack nodded with a laugh as he looked over the letter again, not noticing Grendal who stepped forward to speak.

"Samuel, Hellin, Harmonia, Legor, and Gritto: These five individuals are said to have been here since the beginning of Ossyria and were taught by Minerva and Corus themselves. This is where you will be able to learn the Genesis Light properly Helen, as well as many other powerful spells. Don't let their demeanor discourage you; they may seem stern, but they take their art very seriously and expect that those who have trained hard to be taught by them also take their art very seriously. Before you leave for their forest let me reveal these to you. The newest of your armor before you are to receive the armor of legend; I present to you, the Timeless Armor!"


	11. Chapter 10: The Guardians Emerge: C

Chapter 10: The Guardians Emerge: Completed 

Robeira looked up from her scroll, sensing the excitement that emanated from the spirits of The Five in Herb town like a sweet melody from afar.

"So they have finally reached the last leg of their journey." She said as she returned to her scroll while Tylus walked to the window looking towards Herb Town.

"And now that they have reached this final leg of their journey…" He continued.

"The load they bear will only become heavier." Finished Rene.

"I can only hope that the trials that await them in the end…" Pedro mused, getting up from his table and holding out his pistol after he had cleaned it.

"…will not be so intense that it will break their hearts." Arec finished, silently dropping down from the rafters just as a knock came onto their door.

"Who goes?" all five of them answered in unison.

"A mage of fire and poison, who wishes to be taught so that he may learn the spells of the Third Degree." Robeira hovered over to the door and pulled it open with a soft smile on her lips.

"Master Adrian, many pleasant salutations to you. I am advance master Robeira. I must ask before we continue: Are you worthy?"

* * *

The excitement in their faces could be seen as each of the masters stepped aside and revealed the Timeless armor that dressed mannequins behind them. Helen stared silently at the flowing, sleeveless, ocean blue robe draping over a light white dress, accented with gold designs. On the head was pointed blue cloth hat that bent over from the middle while a golden rope wrapped around it and a large gold rimmed Aquamarine gem. At the base were a pair of sleeve-like gloves with part of them extending up to the middle and ring fingers, decorated the same as the robe.

"I would nearly forgo the Onyx Empress for this. What name pray tell, does it possess?" Helen asked as she admired the finely stitched embroidery on all surfaces.

"This Helen, is the Timeless Myst of Azure. A very special kind of robe that will amplify your power slowly over time, preparing you for the armor that you will one day dawn as the Guardian Mage." Grendal replied, but he was sure that she wasn't even listening as she ran her hand over every surface of the beautiful cloth, her fingers tickling slightly as tiny sparks of power flashed under her fingers. For a short while Jack watched as Helen admired the robe, secretly envisioning her with it on until his attention was brought back to himself when Kyrin playfully slapped the back of his head.

"Pay attention you: Besides, if you stare at her too long she'll begin to feel it." Jack laughed at himself looking over the suit presented to him: down the center of a long sleeve shirt was a gold stripe, from which eight small gold chains attached and draped to the sides. A blood red cape of sorts draped over his left arm, and the boots were blood red leather, stitched with gold thread as were the gloves. Red plates on the gloves were etched with gold designs along the edges. On the head of the mannequin was a red Musketeer's hat where a wispy cloud-like feather stuck into the belt around the hat, draping down and away, golden fabric flames licked downwards.

"And what exactly is this called, Captain Kyrin." Jack teased, picking up the gloves and slipping them on, instantly feeling a spark of something flow up his arm.

"This is the Burgunt's Timeless."

"You mean Timeless Bugunt?" Jack asked, taking the gloves off and almost seeming anxious to put the new suit on.

"No, Burgunt's Timeless: legends say that there was a heavy fist swinger who wore this design by the name of Burgunt known for his bloodthirsty plundering." Jack laughed and looked back at the pure white and red suit.

"I wonder how he kept the thing clean." He muttered as he disrobed the mannequin and ran off to change. Jenny watched as Jack trotted off, already pulling off the red and black coat of his Fire Duke revealing his muscular arms and back. She turned her gaze slightly, feeling just the slightest bit jealous of Helen who was always near him. Shaking her head made her think back to the incident with Matthew and Aufheben and how it they were at each other's throats for a while, making Jenny think that maybe, just maybe, it hadn't worn off completely.

She caught herself as of late spacing out, staring at Jack and only now was she beginning to worry that she was still affected, even though nothing had happened to her directly. As she watched, she couldn't help but see Helen appear beside him and lock her arm with his, making Jenny suddenly realize that she had no chance against her. Helen had curves that Jenny couldn't compete with, long, deep violet hair that shone in the sun, not to mention that her demeanor had changed into that of an elegant woman, making her already pleasant form all the more pronounced. And then there were the robes that she wore: fitted dresses, flowing sleeves and high slit skirts that only added to her beauty revealing much more skin than her armor ever did. She enjoyed when Olsen complemented the way she looked when she was in casual clothes, but she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't at all the way a woman should be; all of her muscles were, in her opinion, over developed and etched; nothing like the temping enchantress that Helen had become. Even though she had a nice figure, Jenny always made sure to wear long sleeves and jeans of some kind to hide her arms and legs.

"Jenny, sweetie. Are you alright?" Athena asked. Jenny turned and looked over her: Even her mother didn't have a muscled look; if anything she more resembled Helen's elegant fingure. But that was probably because of her elfin bloodline.

"It's nothing." She lied, turning back to her new armor before her: A large magenta shirt with gold embroidery making a bowl design on the front. Around the neck was a white cowl decorated with a sapphire broach, and the snug pants radiated the same white as the cowl having an embroidered silver line down the seam. The hat reminded her of the hat Robin Hood would wear, only instead of being green, it was the same color as the shirt with four feathers draping over the rim. Alden and Amber walked up to the Mannequin, sniffing at the sleeve for a moment and then turning back to her as though approving of it. Alden purred while Jenny ruffled the fur on his head, setting her hand on the cowl picking it up to better look at the white embroidery.

"How many Archers have worn something like this?" She asked, becoming lost in looking closer at the embroidery work which were actually pictures of her journey up to this point.

"Not many: the Stones of Time required to make this are rare, and often enough to make all the armor can't be collected. There was one student I remember that persevered and did manage to collect all the needed pieces to create the Everquest. However I found out not long after he had been created it, he was found dead in the Dragon's Nest during an attack of Dragon Turtles." Jenny nodded, taking the clothes off of the mannequin when Helen appeared next to her.

"I will accompany thee to change." She smiled with her robes draped over her arm. Jenny nodded, happy because she could try on some new armor, but feeling somewhat mocked since it was Helen asking.

"I'll join you!" Lillianne called, running up to them with a bright smile across her face.

"What's gotten you so cheery?" Jenny asked as she watched her fidget from foot to foot.

"My father said that there was some new armor waiting for me in the locker; he said that he felt that I should have my own actual armor since the enemies we are going to face are a lot more dangerous. That and well, I wanted to see your new armor up close." She smiled as the three of them walked off to change, waving back to Olsen and Matthew as they watched.

"I guess you and I are the only ones left to see our new armor Olsen." Matthew chuckled, turning back to him and finding that he was no longer wearing his Azure Katinas, but instead was wearing the new armor.

"Nope, just you Matt. I changed while you weren't looking." Olsen said slyly. Over his chest and arms was a midnight purple poncho, loose threads on every edge dancing in the wind while amber thread outlined what appeared to be a picture of a clock face. On his hands were gloves similar to that of Jack, except that the metal clamped around his wrist and covered the entirety of the back of his hand while his palm and fingers were covered in leather that had been dyed the same Midnight Purple. On his feet were stiff chainmail covered boots, while a cloth was wrapped around the ankle and heel of the boot, edged in amber with an eyeball sized sapphire attached to the ankle. Tying down his sleek pink hair was a cloth that looked similar to the poncho, embroidered with amber clock faces everywhere while two small sky blue glass beads hung on the left side.

"And what is this armor called?" asked Dances who walked up to him and admired the craftsmanship in each stitch.

"It's called the Timeless Prism Lotus." Jin answered, appearing from this air and setting his hand on Olsen's shoulder while pulling down his own mask from over his face.

"I am proud of you my son that you have made it this far in your training. Now if only Matthew would follow your example of expediency we could be that much closer to leaving for the High Elders." Dances joked. Matthew nodded his head and turned to look at the heavy looking armor: the breast-plate was a thick piece of orihalcon attached to orihalcon chainmail sleeves. The shoulder guards appeared to be made of a silver steel alloy, decorated with brass caps along the sides with brass chains. The fauds were made of blackened steel with brass studs placed in a checkered pattern, while the plackart had a band of polished brass and blackened steel dropping into a loin guard. The helm was really more like a head decoration that reminded Matthew of his father's headdress: a band of steel wrapped around his head while wing-like fans stood out on either side above his ears, wrapping around his jaw stopping just before his chin.

"What is this armor called? I know it's supposed to be part of the 'Timeless' set, but what exactly is it called?" Matthew asked, once he was somewhat satisfied looking over the armor.

"It is called Swordsman's Timeless Reminiscence. Why don't you go on and don the armor so that we can be on our way to the High Elders." Dances urged. Matthew smiled, pushing the Mannequin with his armor towards his hut to change while Yasmin watched him as she walked up to Dances and leaned against his arm, suddenly noting the sad, faraway look in his eyes.

"It's today isn't it?" Yasmin asked, standing once again and placing her soft hand on Dance's arm.

"Yes; today is the anniversary. Once Matthew and the others have left for Leafre, I will go to his grave." He said sadly, walking back to his teepee with Yasmin at his side; she had heard the story about where he had come from and his past. She wanted to believe that it had actually happened, but there was always a part of her that never fully believed what he had told her was true, at least not until she came here to Ossyria. Jin watched as the two of them strolled back to the teepee, having a hunch as to what it was Dances was going to do, making him chuckle under his breath.

"Stubborn old mule." He muttered, disappearing back to his students who were currently learning a dagger technique from Syl. If things went badly, he would need to make sure that he was there for Dances when and if it did.

* * *

The Black Mage hissed in his throat, making the crystal ball become dark while leaning back in his chair, tapping his chin in thought: a journey to the bottom of the Sleeping Wood may lead him to discovering the Mana Drill. Eleanor presented a glass of her mana potion to him as inquiring whispers arose as he swallowed a mouthful of the potion, walking to the window.

"They are progressing well; all of them have been rapidly aged to that of an adolescent and should be fully grown in another few weeks. I must say that with the find of that power source in the mines, it will greatly improve their power." Eleanor replied, walking back to where Dragon leaned against the wall and pressed her body into him as Dragon put his arm around her waist. In his voice of whispers, The Mage then asked about two very fearful creatures that patrolled the lowest levels of the Ludibrum Clock Tower. Eleanor looked back at The Mage distastefully when a kiss of hers had been interrupted.

"The Gatekeeper is complete and has already been sent to Ludibrum to guard the west. However Thanatos is not quiet complete. As I said before, their genetic sequence is far different than that of the creatures here and is taking a while to properly sequence. If I may ask, your help in completing him would be much appreciated." The Mage turned back to Eleanor, appearing before her, showing her and image of a DNA strand appearing to be tainted and corrupted by Black Magic.

"I understand: his genetic sequencing is already hard enough as it is, and I doubt that allowing your influence would make his resurrection any easier." Eleanor replied, placing a hand on Dragon's chest when they could hear small footed steps coming towards them.

"I would prefer my most trusted of Soldiers were produced with the highest of quality." The squeaky voice of Papulatus droned as he walked into the chamber, when The Mage turned his gaze to the glow worm, narrowing his eyes.

"I am greatful for you help in restoring my clock face. However I will say that I don't approve of your short changing me in Mana." Papulatus said, finishing his sentence with conviction on the last syllable. The Mage slowly opened his eyes, tilting his head towards him as whispers surrounded him for a moment, holding up his hand and holding a small cloud of mana in his palm. Papulatus growled, gritting his teeth and trying to sound as menacing as he could.

"You know as well as I do that time within the Origin passes much slower than outside the chamber! If I am to have my revenge, then I need every advantage that I can get! And your supplying me with extra mana is one such advantage! I _WILL_ have control over the time in Ossyria!" The Mage set his cup down on the fine table next to him, then calmly stood over Papulatus and held out his hand while a blanket of dark energy wrapped around the glow worm, lifting him from the floor and hovering at the Mage's eye level. Hissing whispers filled the air while Black Magic diffused from The Mage's body like smoke as his eyes became bright bonfires of light against the black of his face, wrapping his grip around Papulatus tighter with each word he hissed.

"How many times must the master need remind you that _he_ was the one who gave you your life back Papulatus?" Dragon interjected, while Eleanor continued.

"The Mage didn't resurrect you and give you the means to rebuild your Clockface so that you could continue your conquest of ruling time; your purpose here means nothing. All he offered you in return for bringing you back to life was a chance to avenge your death."

"Then why is it that I feel like I'm just being used?" Papulatus growled, suddenly finding himself shot across the room and skidding to a stop at the door. The Mage affirmed Papulatus's suspicions in a hushed undertone as the aura smoldering from his back flared even more intensely for a brief moment. Papulatus wiped his lip of the white blood and stared back at The Mage with distain.

"Once I am though with them, I will come for you!" Papulatus threatened as he exited the room as fast as his little legs would carry him. The Mage's eyes smiled: his defiance was quite cute, even if he didn't stand a chance.

* * *

"Finally! You guys took forever!" Olsen grumbled as the others returned from donning their newest and last armor for quite a while.

"Such fine apparel must be donned with care Olsen, not haste." Helen replied with a smile in her voice. Matthew nodded his approval of Lillianne's Force Walker armor despite her distaste of it, even if it was a gift from Aran and Lilin.

"How in the world do you move with something so heavy on?" she asked, still getting used to the fact that the armor weighed her down much more that her usual clothes.

"You'll get used to it." Matthew laughed, putting on the head piece and walking off to the docks. Olsen stared at Jenny for a while who almost looked as if she were trying to make herself inconspicuous now that she was dressed in her newest of armor.

"You look good Jen." Olsen smiled, putting an arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head. The comment made Jenny smile, but the questions about the direction of her emotions kept mounting in her head. What did it all mean? Those questions were soon put to rest once they were speeding along the skies towards the lush green forest where a new leg of her journey waited.

"I still can't believe that just a few short months ago, you five came here and were nothing more than scrawny little kids. Now just look at you." Shanks complimented as he looked over Matthew in his new armor.

"I still find it hard to believe myself sometimes." Matthew replied while looking over the many gauges and switches at the helm, watching how they would rise and fall with each movement that Shanks would make while trying to subside the agitated butterflies that had begun to swirl in his gut. Time passed quickly for them, making the two hour trip seem like it was nothing more than a quick walk. Carefully Shanks guided the ship in-between the dense forest treetops within the forest of the Kentrous; Centaur-like creatures that commanded elements of Fire, Ice and Darkness in addition to their enormous strength. As the five of them walked down the gangplank from the side of the ship, one of the Kentrous stepped forwards, setting his large stone hammer on the ground and knelt.

"Welcome to our Forest, Guardians; the High Elders have been expecting you. My name is Kal-Yek and we were sent to escort you to them." He said in a deep voice while the rest of the creatures around him bowed in respect as well. The Six bowed in return, and offered their thanks as the creatures then fell into ranks while Kal-Yek directed each of 'The Six' towards a certain area within them, taking the head of the procession. As they marched, they chanted something in a language they had never heard before, chanting in time with their march until Kal-Yek sounded as if he gave an order; four centaurs surrounded Jack and turned off in a different direction. Jenny thought that it was strange until Kal-Yek shouted another command and the four around her began marching off in another direction through the forest, forcing her to follow after them. This continued until Lillianne was the only one remaining, escorted to a tall ridge that over looked a bowl where five different clearings could be seen.

"Mr. Kal-Yek, sir? Am I…"

"You will be able to observe your friends from here, Lady Lillianne. Since you have learned the highest degree of another weapon style from your father Aran, you are not required to see the High Elders. If it is training that you seek, you must return to him." Kal-Yek cut in, standing proudly on the edge of the ridge as though standing guard. Lillianne smiled disappointedly, knowing that once again she was nothing but a hindrance to her friends and not a help. Kal-Yek sensed the fall in her demeanor and turned back to her just as she slumped to the ground next to a boulder, away from the grand view that was before them.

"What is the matter Lady Lillianne?" he asked, walking over to her and setting down the enormous war hammer.

"Sometimes I just feel like I'm more of a bump on a log and not a help at all to them." Lillianne answered, trying to seem interesting in the small sticks that lay around her. Kal-Yak nodded, turning back towards the view.

"They are the chosen ones; I have a strong feeling that their parents often feel the same as you." He said with a wise tone, hoping that it offered some comfort to her.

* * *

The Elder and the Pirate

For a short while, Jack was led into the forest by the Kentrous until they split off and ran into the forest in different directions. For a moment Jack wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, standing for a few moments until he saw the faintest signs of a trail in the underbrush. It didn't take long until he came to a clearing that looked to be a living room with a simple set up: a few chairs, a couch, two tables and a hollowed out stump that looked as though it acted as a bedroom.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Jack called as she stepped into the area until movement on the couch caught his attention; lazily, a man with white bed head hair sat up and yawned, stretching his arms while looking blankly at Jack for a moment. He wore a dark grey robe with a tattered shawl over his shoulders, held in place by a skull pin and over his right eye was a black leather patch while pointed ears stood out from under his hair.

"Are you the High Elder, Samuel?" Jack asked. The man nodded as he stood and stretched once more, his back cracking in random places when in a flash he had drawn a pistol and fired upon Jack. With no time to spare, Jack rocketed to another part of the area only having to move again when Samuel took aim and fired again. Jack quickly lost his patience, making his move as Samuel reloaded the pistol by punching the gun from out of his hand, grabbing his shawl to use it as an anchor and propel his fist until it was stopped by Samuel with ease.

"So you do possess the sheer awesome power that I have heard so much about." Samuel said with a smile as he let go of Jack's fist and pried his fingers from the shawl.

"Take a seat. I'll get us something to drink." He suggested, walking to a well and pulling a rope up attached to a basket where various bottled drinks were held, handing one to Jack after twisting the cap off.

"So, Jack Waterman, tell me. How many parties have you been to, or have hosted?" Samuel asked as he slurped down a mouthful of whatever liquid was in the bottle, reclining against the well.

"Parties? What do you mean by that? I've been busy fighting to get stronger, and you're asking me about parties?" Jack asked, stupefied.

"One can't always be serious. Pirates are the ones that have the most fun, and are the ones who lead the way with their awesome supersonic hits that can bring down buildings!" Samuel replied, taking another swig of his drink before letting out the loudest belly belch he had ever heard.

"WHAT?!" Jack exclaimed in dumbfounded disbelief and shock at Samuel's behavior.

"You've taken this 'Guardian' business far too seriously. If you don't take a step back and have some fun, then you will only burn yourself out." Jack gritted his teeth, shaking with angered frustration as he turned and began to walk away from the area, throwing the bottle against a rock.

"I'll go and find someone who can actually train me!" Jack huffed, stomping away when Samuel's voice became serious.

"You don't have what it takes to be the one to save Ossyria. If you give up now, you give up on everyone." Jack stopped abruptly and turned around, confused as to what he meant, but still angry at the way that he portrayed himself.

"You are supposed to be the Pirate High Elder, and yet you seem like nothing more than a care free individual more worried about how many parties he's been to than helping to make sure that those who come to you are ready to fight the creatures that plague this world!" Jack fumed. Samuel smiled to one side and shook his head as if understanding where Jack was coming from.

"Yes, I know. It takes years of training to reach the level of awesome power required to stand before me, but I wanted to make sure that you understood your responsibility to Ossyria now that you have reached such a high caliber of training. And now that I see that you indeed do have the fortitude and integrity necessary, we can begin your training; follow me." With a wave of his hand, he began leading Jack to where he would begin training Jack in powerful new techniques, talking over his shoulder as they went.

"Have you ever heard the story of why Ludibrum is in the state that it is in?"

"No, actually. The only thing that I know about Ludi is that it is the center of time here in Ossyria."

"As true as that may be, that is not the only reason for its appearance. Ludibrum is actually suspended in a state of time that is exponentially slower than that of the world around it to preserve the innocence of Childhood, thus allowing Ludibrum to create toys for the world's children that will bring joy to them. During the rise of the Black Mage, there came a time where he had visited the Time Sphere, cracking it. Why he did was never understood, but through that crack a creature known as Papulatus came into Ossyria and took control of the Time Sphere, saying that he was going to control all time here. His interference created the rift that now exists and is kept in check by another Time Sphere in Helios Tower and Time Keeper Nexus. With their combined power, it ensured the rift didn't become any wider. The rift was beginning to repair itself after Papulatus had been defeated by your parents; but now Papulatus has returned and the Rift is beginning to relapse."

"Aaaaaaand, why are you telling me this?" Jack asked, confused by having a story told to him instead of being told how to cream his enemies.

"I'm telling you this because the responsibility you have to Ossyria has become much greater than it already is, Jack Waterman. Your enemies no longer are that of causing disturbances, rather, their defeat or destruction could have greater consequences than advantages. Papulatus for instance: if you aren't careful, you could very well warp time." Samuel finished, walking into the training grounds where boulders, smashed targets and burned ground lay before him.

"To help you along your journey, you're going to need much more powerful and precise techniques. The first of which and the most powerful, is the Ultra Fist. It is exactly like the Hyper Fist, except that the Ultra fist is the Hyper Fist applied again." Jack raised his eyebrow and held up his hands to stop the lesson.

"So wait; if the Hyper Fist requires me to open my mana gates, how do I reapply it if my mana is already being used at full capacity? Does it run dry twice as fast or something?" Samuel shook his head and holstered his pistol, reaching for the large bottle of rum on a tree stump.

"In all actuality, you are going to be slowing the use of mana. After you have opened your Mana gates, you must then split the flow, compress the two flows into high pressure streams, and then use the secondary stream to layer the Hyper Fist again. Once you have learned to do this, you will be able to apply this Mana compression technique to all of your skills."

"So, shouldn't you teach me this mana compression first?" Jack asked, becoming more and more confused by the second; it seemed as if his teaching methods were all backwards.

"I could, but I could only teach you the theory; Mana compression is different for every person. A student who came this way a long time ago put it quite well: it's like refining the nozzle on a hose. You can open it all the way up and get lots of mana, or you can adjust it so that the same amount of mana will give you twice the power." Jack wobbled his head around a bit, thinking it over before taking a breath and closing his eyes to imagine his mana gates as if he were putting a nozzle on the front of them. Slowly a bright blue aura built around his body while he carefully opened his mana gates, splitting the flow and 'muzzling' them. For a good half hour, Jack would fade in and out of the Hyper Fist form, trying to get the hang of this 'mana compression'; It felt as if he weren't using enough mana to enter his Hyper Fist, but the moment that he tried to use more, the split would break. Inversely, when he tried to split the flow, he would no longer have the mana needed to enter Hyper Fist. Finally running out of mana, he collapsed to the ground while trying to heave air into his massive chest.

"It's, been a while… since I've… used all… my mana. Whew! Man I'm beat."

"That's alright. Rest for a while and then once you have your mana back you can try again. Once you are able to initiate the Ultra Fist, the mana compression will be critical since I will also teach you maneuvers that can only be done in the Ultra Fist form."

"Don't you think that we ought to go to the Rift in Ludibrum? This could take a while." Jack asked, remembering his training with the Advance Masters and how they had used the Rift to learn months of skills in just a few hours.

"We could. But then another lesson that I want to teach you would be wasted." Samuel said deviously turning around and taking another long drink of rum and walking to the edge of the training grounds. Jack huffed and sat down, reaching for a glass of water while he waited for his mana to replenish.

"What other lesson?" Jack asked. Samuel looked over his shoulder as he reached for another bottle of something in a tree.

"Perseverance."

* * *

Make the Shadows Dance 

It wasn't long until the Kentrous around Olsen ran off in different directions leaving him on his own. However he could sense that there was a presence further ahead of him along a path of trees that appeared to have been used as a footing, since their bark had been rubbed off in certain places. Out of curiosity, he decided that instead of using those smooth patches, he would walk on the ground and follow the patches. No sooner had he pushed aside the branches then he saw a pool of a deep pit of thick green liquid dug into the ground. Olsen looked for a way to walk around the pool, but the only usable way appeared to be the way in the trees. Not wanting to keep the High Elder Hellin waiting for too much longer, he stepped back and began jumping from tree to tree, spotting the next point just before he needed it and taking off in a another direction, slicing through the branches and leaves as they got in his way. Just as he was about to make the last jump to a clearing, his foot slipped and caused his launch to be half hearted at best, twisting his ankle in the process. Just before the patch of cleared ground where he was to land, a huge pool of the green goop sat, colored black because of its great depth. Quickly he somersaulted forwards and initiated a jumping hex that propelled him onto the clear patch of ground, wincing as the hot sting of pain shot up his leg. A rushing wind hissed towards him from the edge of a dagger, dropping to the ground flat just as two thin daggers screamed past where his head used to be and buried themselves into a tree. Silence hung thick in the air for a moment until the sound of clapping split the air behind him.

"Well done Olsen. You dodged those daggers quite well for someone of your… innocence." A voice said. Olsen looked back over his shoulder to see a female elf wearing a long black poncho, covering both her arms and legs while her silvery hair framed her attractive face, even though half of it was covered by a black scarf around her neck. On her forehead was a dark blue star that made her seem more like a priestess than a High Elder of the Ninja.

"Innocent? You think I'm innocent? I've had to watch someone kill their own sibling and you're calling me innocent?!" Olsen hollered as Hellin jumped down and stepped through the pool of goo to pull out her daggers, before swiping her finger through it and licking off the glob from her finger.

"I don't think that you are innocent Olsen, I know you are. Did you think that this goop was some kind of poisonous puddle? Did you ever stop to think of what you might have affected when you killed Pianus? Or did you ever stop to wonder what could possibly happen to the swamp when you defeated your very first foe, the Slime King?" Olsen blinked a moment as she walked by, letting her words sink and following her as she walked.

"That is something that you must bring into account when you go to defeat any foes from this point on. Yes, defeating them may seem right at the moment, but the ripples that spread from that one victory that must be calculated. Even now, you decision to become a 4th Degree Ninja must be well thought through; You may be the one prophesied to defeat the Black Mage, but you are still a child on many a level." Hellin's tone sounded harsh and offered Olsen the truth on how she saw him with blunt force. But Olsen breathed and stopped, kneeling to one knee and bowing his head to her: this was sometimes how his father had taught him when he first began this adventure.

"High Elder Hellin: I know that there are many things that I must learn before I am anywhere near ready to become what is needed of me. And so I offer my hands and my dagger to you, so that they may be honed into perfection." Hellin stopped and turned around, silently walking back to Olsen where she placed and gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Then rise Olsen, and follow me so that your training can begin." Silently the two of them walked through the dense underbrush, listening to their surroundings of birds and whispering trees. As they walked, Olsen noted that Hellin stopped to admire a white and pale pink flower growing along the path and smell its sweet fragrance. For a brief moment, her whole person seemed to change making Olsen forget how powerful she really was as her comely face breathed in the perfume. All too quickly the moment ended and they were once again on the path to the area where she would teach him the highest degree of Ninja Arts.

"For your first lesson, you will learn The Assassin's Cross. With this technique, you will be able to exploit you enemy's weak point to your advantage, hitting it multiple times. It is similar to your Assault Slash, only additional hits are dealt." Hellin pulled a dagger from her belt before vanishing for a moment and then reappearing on the opposite side of a tree. Silence hung thick for a moment when one of the trees had an entire section of trunk reduced to splinters, felling it to the ground.

"For this to work properly, you must also compress your mana usage. While using more mana may give you more power, it is very inefficient and wasteful. Compressing your mana allows you to obtain more power out of less." Olsen nodded his understanding, taking a stance and launching at a tree but only able to attack twice before passing the tree completely. However he had tried compressing his mana like she had told him and already felt the benefits. For hours he continued until his mana ran dry, slowly working his way up to three attacks, but still unable to compress his mana enough to give him the speed needed to completely finish the move. While Olsen waited for his mana to replenish, Hellin brought a tray with a small loaf of simple bread and a pitcher of water.

* * *

Straight and True 

Jenny trotted along with the Kentrous as they led her to a part of the forest that cleared and parted way, allowing her to step through it into a clearing where a woman could be seen standing amidst a simply designed living area. She was dressed in a green robe that tickled the ground with shoulder length blond hair that had a peculiar green tint to it. Her pointed ears sported three diamond studs on each, while a green band was tied neatly around her eyes. She stood poised with a black great bow drawn tight, aiming for a target; with a twang of the sinews she let the arrow go, hitting a target almost 100 feet away dead in the bulls eye.

"You are Jenny I presume?" she asked somewhat harshly, pulling another arrow from her quiver.

"Yes 'am. And you are High Elder Legor, right?" Jenny nervously answered as Legor split her first arrow and hit the target once again.

"Yes, I am." She said flatly again, almost seeming agitated as she drew her bow and hit the target dead center again, drawing her bow once more.

"Well? Aren't you going to ask?" Legor asked with a snip, loosening her draw and turning towards Jenny.

"Ask what?" Jenny was slightly confused by the question.

"Aren't you going to ask how I can hit a target with my eyes covered?"

"Was I supposed to ask?" Jenny asked back, not sure if her lack of questions was going to make Legor refuse to teach her. Legor was intrigued and put the arrow back into its quiver before walking over to her.

"You sound much more mature than you felt, Jenny. Tell me, what question was running through your mind at the time?" she asked, while coming a little too close for Jenny's comfort.

"I was actually going to ask how you were doing. I figured that you had your eyes covered because you were training, which is why I didn't ask." Legor's intrigue deepened, backing away slightly with a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Your mother raised a quick-witted girl I see."

"You know my mom?"

"Yes, in fact I owe my life to her. About two years after Black Mage had been sealed, I had been traveling through the Minar Forest, feeling somewhat safe since I had become an accomplished Archer myself. I was in search of herbs when I was attacked by a band of stray Cornian from the Mage's Armies. Since they had surprised me, my bow and arrows were knocked from my hands leaving me only able to summon a Phoenix to my side, vanquished quickly by those vicious beasts. The only other option I had was to run, but that ended when the creature caught me and began playing with me as though preparing himself to eat. I tried to reason with it since they seemed to be on a slightly higher mental plane then other creatures, leading to it gouging my eyes out. Without my sight, it was hopeless and resigned myself to death since that was the only thing that waited for me. However I then heard sounds of battle, hearing the Cornian scream out as though it had been wounded. Once I had been brought back to town and stabilized, Athena introduced herself and told me that she was the one that had saved my life at my query. After a week of asking, Athena agreed to teach me the skills she had learned once I had recovered, the most helpful of which was the Eye of Arrows, a technique allowing me to see without my eyes." Jenny skeptically raised an eyebrow; she had experienced the Eye of Arrows at the beginning of her journey and always thought that it was only to enhance one's vision of weak spots.

"You don't believe me do you?" Legor asked, turning back to Jenny and smiling while beckoning for her to follow.

"I'm just not sure how that application is supposed to work." Jenny answered, looking over Legor's face and seeing slight hints that the Eye of Arrows was active at this very moment.

"Ah, well since it will be one of the skills that I'm going to teach you, I suppose an explanation won't hurt: The Eye of Arrows enhances your vision by feeding mana into the blood vessels of your eyes and the skin around them, making your skin glow like this." Legor took the band from around her head and revealed her eyes which were nothing more than empty sockets with the exception of a fern-like design glowing around her eyes, almost like green mascara and eye shadow.

"Normally this application of mana to your eyes creates a hyper-sharpening effect, and the method used to feed the mana into your eyes also makes it seem that the weak point of your enemy glows, making it easier to spot once you've found it. The mana that feeds into the skin around your eyes becomes similar to radar, almost as if your field of vision becomes wider since it makes the skin hyper-sensitive to body heat and wind disturbances." Legor explained, walking over to a tree and retrieving a small bit of bread.

"Then the area of skin around your eyes allows you to 'see' you surroundings by feeling the changes in air pressure?" Jenny asked, answered by Legors slow nod. Jenny was impressed and already wanted to learn this new technique but calmed herself as Legor led her into a wide, clear area where they would be going through the techniques.

"The first new technique that I will show you is the Hurricane. With this, you will be able to fire a continuous stream of arrows without reaching back for another. However, this technique will require you to also learn Mana Compression; by compressing your flow of mana, you will be able to use less mana and still obtain the same results. With the combination of these two techniques, you will be able to fire a storm of arrows almost indefinitely."

"Won't I run out of arrows after a short while like that?" Jenny asked, realizing that her quiver held 40 arrows at most, and that was packing them in pretty tight.

"No no, Jenny. This technique uses only one arrow, while the rest are created from Mana; it would run your mana dry within seconds without Compression." Legor explained, holding up her bow and demonstrating as she explained

"First, you must draw your bow with an arrow, and while you are holding that arrow, make a copy of it using your mana and fire. Once you have fired that arrow, make another copy and fire the first copy with a small burst of mana, and then repeat this process." Jenny shook her head as she thought about how much mana she would be using in just this one technique, but if she could learn this mana compression thing, then all her techniques could become even more powerful than they already were, not to mention that if she were to use the Crystal power with compression that it would be even more powerful. For hours she experimented with different ways of compressing her mana and beginning the Hurricane while Legor gave her pointers and suggestions to make it easier for her. Slowly the Compression was beginning to show promise until she ran out of mana. Jenny wasn't about to give up on learning how to use the compression and began trying to use her crystal power when Legor suddenly grabbed her arm, pinching off the flow of power to her hands.

"You were going to use the power of the Emerald Crystal weren't you?" Legor asked sternly, taking the bow from her.

"Yes, I was. I'll eventually have to learn how to…"

"No. You must first master Mana Compression. Using the compression on your crystal power will be more difficult than you can imagine: if the power is already many times more potent than mana, can you imagine how much harder it will be to compress it? Doing so right now will make the output of your power unstable and could injure you." Legor scolded, handing the bow back to her and set a hand on her shoulder.

"I know the pressure that you feel must be high Jenny. But you must first master Mana compression before attempting to compress the power within you." She instructed, handing her a glass of water and a towel to wipe the sweat from her brow while Jenny rested to restore her mana.

* * *

My Sword Shall Protect the Weak 

The Kentrous set a brisk pace through the forest before splitting off in different directions, leaving Matthew standing before a path hidden under the plants. It seemed to be the only place left to go, and he wouldn't be able to find the way back to where he had begun, so he took the trail that was before him. Over the steps of his greives, he could hear the ring of a sword being sharpened, as if it were a lullaby being sung with metal. He then came to a clearing which had a simple table in the center while a fire pit with flames licked at a roast on a spit. To one side was a man with a reddish brown cloak over his shoulders while a Loral of gold wings rested on his head holding down his strawberry red hair. From under the Loral, pointed ears stood out, making Matthew wonder if this person were an Elf or some other race.

"Excuse me…"

"Matthew Drake, is it not?" the man interrupted in a deep, reassuring voice while sliding a sharpening stone against the blade of his sword.

"Yes, I am. Are you the High Elder Harmonia?" Matthew asked, feeling somewhat timid after hearing the man speak. Stopping mid slide of his sharpening stone, he turned his strange silver eyes back to him and nodded slowly, reaching for a small spoon and pouring water onto the blade before continuing to sharpen his sword.

"I expected you to arrive slightly earlier Matthew. What kept you?" he asked calmly, setting down the stone and dipping his blade into a trough of water, then wiping the blade clean of the metal shavings and stone silt.

"I was the last of my comrades to dawn my new armor made by my father, Dances with Balrog, since I spent too much time admiring it." Harmonia smiled as he held up his sword and looked Matthew in the eye through the mirror-like perfection of the blade. Reaching to the side, he then slid the blade back into its gold hilt, the guard in the shape of wings spread wide housing a large ruby in the center. Ceremoniously he slid the sword back into it scabbard made of pearl, a line of gold inlay lining up with the handle making the sword appear to be made of the scabbard.

"I see. Admiration for your father's craftsmanship is pleasing; too many warriors have passed through my training with little to no appreciation of the hard labor it takes to forge such armor." He stood and turned around to face Matthew, setting the point of his scabbard on the ground before him while holding the sword upright.

"How long have the High Elders been here in Ossyria? From tales that my father has told me, you didn't appear until a couple years after Athena had met up with the others on Victoria Island." Matthew asked with interest. Harmonia stood to his full 6'5" height, nodding his head in acknowledgement of his question.

"You have a right to know, Matthew. And so I will tell you; follow me to your training grounds." He beckoned, turning to the north and almost silently walking down a worn trail.

"When your parents began training others to follow in their footsteps, there were only a few that wanted to actually endure the hard training it took to become a master. Once the people began to see not only the power a master commanded, but also the fame that could be gained because of it, people began coming to them in droves. Within a few short weeks, the Masters were so overrun with people of all different degrees of training, they weren't able to keep up. Around then is when the Advance Masters appeared and suggested that the training be broken up and performed by many different teachers. This would ease the load of the masters and allow them to concentrate on the beginning trainees while the higher level masses were able to get the focused training they required. We High Elders were sought out by the Advance Masters to train the Fourth Degree tier. At first we refused since we five had been taught from a very young age that humans would only use anything they ever learned from us in destruction of the land." Harmonia sensed that there was a question brewing in the air around Matthew and looked back to him.

"Are you five of an Elvin race? I was told that the elves here were all eliminated by the Black Mage hundreds of years ago." Matthew asked, slightly confused.

"A very good question indeed Matthew: we High Elders are indeed elves, but we are from a different world. We came here by accident when a meditation I and my comrades had been performing turned out to be a trans-world spell." Harmonia smiled,, reminiscing on the events that led up to their arriving in Ossyria.

"As I said before, we refused to help the humans at first, but Robeira and Arec eventually convinced us that we would be teaching the most learned of warriors. The first few years were torture; however High Elder Samuel became fond of the human's 'parties' here, and Legor's life was saved by Athena Peirce. So after which I felt that we should at least humor the humans here and help them. After all, your world of Ossyria was nearly destroyed because of the Black Mage, and the humans here banded together innot only stopping him, but also ensured the safety of the ones still living here." Matthew felt slightly proud, and a bit unnerved by the fact that Harmonia was only teaching him out of humor rather than respect.

"Over the years however of training many learned warriors and swordsmen, I have come to enjoy Ossyria and now think of it as my home, even if we five aren't from this world. Now that The Black Mage threatens my new home, I will do what I must to protect it, and train those who would also protect it." Harmonia smiled, leading them into a wide area, free of trees where bales of hay and small boulder formations were scattered. Next to the path where they had come in was a weapons rack, stocked with heavy maces, swords, and spears and just to the right of that was a small table.

"Here is where I will teach you the first of many new techniques Matthew; mana compression. This technique will allow you to use less mana and even in some cases draw more power from it." Carefully he drew his sword and stabbed it into the ground before him.

"That sword, Heaven's Wings, is a special sword that will try to push you away; in order to get close to it, you must use mana. In the past, the more mana that you used, the more power you could command; however that often very inefficient. What you must do is use a high powered stream. "

"So why wasn't I taught this at the beginning?" Matthew asked, seeming rather irritated.

"Because up to this point you have been taught Mana Control; while it plays a vital role in Mana Compression, Mana Control sometimes takes many years to learn well." With a nod and irritated breath, Matthew reached for Harmonia's sword, instantly feeling the push of the sword trying to fling him back. Matthew initiated a small stream of mana through his gauntlet making it a little easier to approach the sword but it still offered quite a bit of resistance. He increased the flow of mana and again it became easier. He kept increasing the flow of mana, each time becoming easier but was soon shoved back when his mana ran dry, sliding through the dirt into a pile of hay.

"Not bad for your first run, but again, you must compress you mana into a high powered jet if you are ever to reach the sword. Simply using more mana will only make you run out faster. Compressed mana has a much higher power yield. Here, drink this while you wait for your mana to rebuild." Harmonia said, helping him to his feet and then handing him a glass of water.

"Once you are able to learn this, the other techniques will come easier. However I must warn you now that there are some techniques that must be used sparingly." Now Matthew was really interested: there were techniques that were dangerous?

"Such as?"

"The most dangerous of these is the Dragon Stigma. This technique entails two parts, the first of which is a contract between you and a dragon deity. Once the contract is in place, the summoning of this technique infuses your body with the spirit of that dragon for a short time, amplifying your strength exponentially."

"That sounds like it will only make me sore." Matthew chuckled. But his chuckle was soon reduced when he met Harmonia's hard gaze.

"While it may seem funny to you, it is actually a technique that if used too long or too frequently could kill you if you aren't properly trained. Yes, infusing your body with the dragon spirit will increase your strength, but at the same time it makes your body slowly produce Stigma, or dragon's blood. At first, you can only use this technique for a few seconds before the stigma level within your body becomes too high. Use it for too long right now, and the shock of having too much of a foreign blood in your body will kill you. After using it, you must let a few days pass before using it again to allow the stigma to clear from your body. As time goes by, your body will become able to handle this technique for longer periods of time before the amount of dragon blood in your system becomes critical." Matthew nodded, taking a sip and leaning back against the bale, pulling a leg up and resting his wrist on his knee.

"So are there any other techniques I should know about that are dangerous to my life?" Harmonia smiled and nodded, sitting down next to Matthew and reaching for his own cup.

"There are, but for now just concentrate on learning your mana compression."

* * *

The Power of Magic

At first, the Kentrous were setting a pace that was too great for Helen to keep up with on foot. However she soon realized that she didn't have to walk and initiated a hovering spell that allowed her to keep up with the Kentrous' high pace. It seemed as if they were taking her to a place that was far denser than the other areas within the forest and the air seemed to be alive with a gentle brush of magic in the air.

"_Is this the power that Grito commands_?" Helen wondered as she suddenly found herself alone and following a small stream into a place that seemed to be the epicenter of the tranquility, lowering herself to the ground and walking reverently forward. An elfin woman looked to be hovering or meditating in the center with long greenish blond hair that reached to the ground, adorned with a crown of purple thorns. Around her shoulders was pulled a violet cloak, covering the flattering robe she wore beneath. Slowly she opened her eyes, pushing her arms out from under the cloak and smiled to Helen.

"Ah, Helen. Welcome to my corner of the Minar Forest. As you may already know, I am Grito. I trust that you trip here wasn't too exciting?"

"Indeed. However, I am curious to know Grito, how art thou able to produce such power within the forest? It hath a calming property." Grito smiled as her dark green eyes sparkled, descending from her floating perch and set a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"No Helen, it is not my power: this place has a very high concentration of spirit energy, a place similar to that of the Meditation Grounds used to keep the barrier of the forest intact. It is a place that is excellent for new mages who are about to embark on the high degree of training to gain an understanding of the spells and power they are about to learn with ease." Nodding, Helen looked around and let the feeling of the place calm her, allowing her to feel the energy surrounding her as if it were a warm blanket, making her want to sit down and begin meditating right then and there.

"I know the air of this place makes one feel quite relaxed, however Helen there is work that must be done. Grendal you grandfather told me that you have been trying to learn the Genesis Light, have you not?" Helen could only look away in embarrassment and nodded, feeling like a child that had been caught doing something wrong.

"There is no need to fret child. The Genesis Light requires using something that you have not yet learned: Mana Compression. While I admire your attempts to use such a high level spell, you have been frustrating yourself and causing yourself a lot of unneeded stress on your body. Since you are so eager to learn this spell, it will be the first that I teach you and at the same time, you will also learn Mana Compression." Grito then spent the next few minutes explaining how to compress her mana as well as teaching her the proper way to summon the Genesis Light. For hours she recited the spell, easily mastering the Mana Compression, but the Genesis Light was different: every time she tried to form the beams of light that would rain down upon the ground, they would simply fizz out.

"I understand not, Elder Grito. Have I not been reciting the spell exactly as it is written? And have I not been forming my mana as it should be? Why then can I not form this spell?" Helen asked, becoming frustrated. Grito sighed: inwardly she had hoped that Helen would be able to perform the Genesis Light since she was to be the Guardian Mage of Ossyria, but she realized that she was expecting too much of her too soon.

"It is quite alright Helen. I once taught a student of mine that took another 10 years before he could perform it. Not everyone can perform the spell instantly. Take a moment and rest: we will try again in a while." Gratefully Helen sat down on a wooden chair next to a table set with small glasses of water which she absently froze, melted and shocked gently.

"Not long ago, I and my friends were summoned into the depths of Aquarious to dismantle a Mana Drill, halt Pianus, and rescue Carta. However she hath said that Minerva still lives. This troubles me since the tale I was told of Ossyria's past, says that she had perished. Is it not possible that Minerva still lives?" Grito sipped on her glass as she thought, turning her head different ways as she thought through her massive knowledge of magic in Ossyria.

"Minerva herself was a very powerful Sage, so I cannot say with absolute certainty that Minerva is actually dead."

"Is it not possible she learned how to manipulate her own life force, and keep it from the Life Stream?" Helen asked.

"If any one person could do such a thing, it would be Minerva. But there have yet to be any indications of that in her journal which I have read through many times." Grito's eyes lit up when she thought of something and stood.

"However I just remembered, though it may not be of any use, where was that book..." Quickly, yet gracefully, Grito went into her library and retrieved an old tome, bringing it back to the table and turning the pages until she was near the end of the book.

"This book is what most refer to as the Hidden Archive. It says that the Advance Masters suddenly appeared a few years after Minerva had died, saying that they had traveled the world, learning everything that they could and wanted to help Ossyria's inhabitants to better protect themselves and the ones they loved. Additionally, something puzzling to me is that when we were being convinced to help Ossyria, Arec and Robeira would often complete each other's sentences."

"Much like a young betrothed would do, correct?" Helen asked, feeling that there might be a connection that she was not aware of.

"No, they completed sentences as though they shared the same mind. It was more pronounced when all five of them had gathered to then relay our decision to the Five Masters. All of them continued from where the last one left off as though they were all of one mind. It was rather strange, even for someone such as myself." Once her question had been quelled, Helen began to attempt the spell again, trying as hard as she could to make herself learn the Genesis Light: she needed to learn this spell, not just for herself, but for all of Ossyria.

* * *

Balrog growled, speaking with the Crimson and Geist around him who reported back their findings. One of them reported that the Warrior master was leaving for the depths of the Sleeping Wood with lots of flowers and a woman with him. Balrog sneered, getting up from his seat and stomping out from his chamber, making the ground shake with each step as he walked to the main doors of the hold. Chilling whispers rose around him as The Mage appeared before him with narrowed eyes.

"Dances with Balrog is leaving for the depths of the Sleeping Wood, no doubt to pay 'respect' to that fallen warrior of his. I am going to exact my revenge for them taking my life." Balrog growled. The Mage slowly shook his head, making a large orb of energy appear in his hand.

"But master!" The Mage once again help up his hand, making the small orb in his hand become twice its original size, standin his fur on end while livid whispers filled the air around them. Balrog barred his teeth and growled in his throat, infuriated that he was being held here when one of the warriors that had killed him so long ago was making his way down to his temple

"The decision to resurrect me was your own. This is my choice!" Balrog hissed, until a tight feeling began surrounding his neck while something stiff pressed itself to his gut. Again Balrog only growled his response, looking away periodically from the overpowering gaze of The Mage. His eyes smiled as he turned away with his hands behind his back, leaving the seething Balrog with his thoughts.

* * *

It was darker than Dances remembered, but with Yasmin at his side he made his way down into the depths of the Sleeping Wood where the temple ruins of the Sharenien stood as a testament to the past of Ossyria.

"How long had you known him?" Yasmin asked, adjusting her hold on the bouquet of flowers in her arms while Dances carried another.

"Tristan? I knew him when he was a boy, barely old enough to walk. His father was killed during the great Gollum wars, and his mother; well, her mind collapsed after his father's passing. I and my tribe cared for him as one of our own. When he was old enough, I began training him as a swordsman as was custom. His natural talent with the sword put him far ahead of any student I had ever trained, and before I knew it he had become the youngest soldier within my personal battalion. His life was cut short when Shadow Lord, he and I went to face Balrog here in the depths of the Sleeping wood, saving me from one of his eviscerating swings. After we had defeated him, I set up a tomb for him as a memorial to him: this marks 24 summers since his passing." Yasmin sighed, looking down at the bouquet in her arms, remembering how Dances had gone with her when she went to her father's gave every year, so this was the least that she could do for him. Once they had reached the bottom of a long flight of stairs and entered a dark chamber, Yasmin was awed at the statue that stood in the very center of the room with a single ray of light shining down on it from above: a young man dressed in a full set of armor stood with his leg up on a rock, griping his sword that rested on the ground while looking forwards as though waiting in anticipation for what lay ahead. On the base of the statue were carved the words: 'Tristan; Gone from the world, but not from our hearts'. Memories of Tristan raced through Dances mind as he stood and stared at the statue before him until a voice cut through thoughts.

"Did you honestly think that I was going to allow you to come here on your own John?" The familiar voice of Jin echoed in the cave as he jumped down from his perch and silently walked over to the statue, bowing his head in respect of the great warrior.

"Jin; you never were one to let well enough alone." Dances chuckled as Syl, Kyrin, Athena and Grendal walked into the chamber close behind, each with a bouquet of flowers in their arms.

"How many years is this old friend?" Grendal asked kindly, setting down his bouquet. Dances shook his head, smiling as he remembered another moment with Tristan.

"This makes 24 years today." Dances replied. Kyrin looked over the statue as she too set her bouquet down and admired the craftsmanship, wondering what kind of man this Tristan had been. For a few minutes they lingered in the dark of the cave while Dances told them stories of Tristan's childhood growing up in the village before turning and beginning to leave.

"How long do you think the kids will take to finish their training?" Yasmin asked as she pulled Dance's arm around her waist.

"The High Elders have their methods, they will finish when they are deemed worthy."

* * *

One Week Later

From her perch where she had been directed to stay, Lillianne watched and listened as her friends learned there highest degree of training. With each of the preceding seven days, Aran and the other masters would come by and visit. No letters from any other cities had come in, making them all begin to wonder what it was The Mage had been up to during the past week. Was he plotting something? Studying? Preparing a spell that would annihilate all of Ossyria in one swoop? Knowing him, there was no room for guessing. However it did offer a good space of peace. In the late afternoon of the seventh day, five horns could be heard blasting over the forest, signifying that each of them had completed their training. Lillianne waited excitedly for her friends to return, especially Matthew whom she hadn't seen since they had disappeared into the forest.

"With our guidance, and with their strength, these fine young people are the youngest to ever complete the Fourth Degree training. It has been a great honor to train each of you, especially with the surprises that you had in store for us. Learning from the Knights of the Empress in addition to the skills learned from your parents, the Masters, is a feat in itself. Now there only remains one task for you, and your training shall at last be complete: The forging of your own weapons." Hellin announced smoothly, placing a hand on Olsen's shoulder and smiling slightly before taking a small stone from her belt and hurling it to the ground, opening a portal which would take them directly to the Forge of Black, the same weapons mill in which Maha transformed himself into a weapon. As each of them stepped through, they were greeted by a panda and given a small platter with a few blue-glowing stones, color swirling within them.

"With these Stones of Time, you shall be able to create weapons that will enhance your strength and become stronger themselves as you use them, just as your armor." Grito explained, motioning over to a set of heavy overalls, leather apron, boots and gloves.

"What are those for?" Jack asked, picking up the smock and looking it over.

"These clothes are designed so that the metal you will melt down for the weapons will not hurt you. I doubt that you would want to have molten metal hit your skin." Harmonia smiled, picking up the overalls and handing a set to Matthew.

"While you will be the one to make the weapons, Saigon, and his employees will watch over you as you forge your weapons to ensure proper completion. It should take about a day, so we will return then." Harmonia continued, bowing to them and leaving through the portal. Lillianne could hardly wait, watching as each of them picked through ingots of different metals, alloys and woods, picking out what they felt would be the best choice after listening to a basic instruction from Saigon.

"Choosing the materials from which you will forge your weapons is the most crucial of steps. While being part of a group will make you powerful, your weapon is a tool that you must trust you life to, so choose carefully." With those words in mind, they chose their metals: Mithril, Adamantium, and Steel plates were picked through and broken to be melted down, mixing in the Stones of Time within the molten metals. At the same time, a spell was uttered over the metal, activating the Stones of Time allowing the weapons to empower them as they were used. For hours, the five of them were sure to attend to the furnaces, taking out the pots and stirring them from time to time to ensure that the Stones of Time mixed throughout the molten slop. Once they had completely melted, each of the metals were poured into molds, sparking and hissing their disapproval as they filled them. While the molds cooled, the five were then directed to the decorative woods and alloys which would adorn their weapons, picking out small gems, shades of wood stains, and leather to be placed throughout. Once the molds cooled, they were then shaped and honed by the blacksmiths since some of the steps required a far greater practiced art.

As the weapons were hammered, sharpened, polished and ground into their shape, Saigon chanted a spell over Matthew's Niblehiem which would allow the huge sword to be wielded easily by absorbing Mana. The pieces to Jack's new pistol were soon cleaned of burs, and the decorative pieces were made allowing him assemble it, the same as his new set of knucklers. Helen pieced together the slivers to her staff head, while sliding on rings of wood to decorate the main shaft. Jenny set the gems she had picked and strung the sinews on her bow and crossbow, periodically wiping the metal down to rid it of handprints. Matthew carefully pieced together the hilts of his swords made of stained pewter cast in decorative, gargoyle design, curling upwards like claws on either side of the blade. Olsen's dagger blade had been blackened, while the burned metal was ground away to make the cutting, serrated edge stand out, complimenting the gold hilt while he assembled the pieces of his claw, carefully polishing every piece once he had set it in place. The final touch to each of the weapons was placed by Saigon himself: before each of the weapon's metal was melted, one Stone of Time for each weapon was kept intact to be placed as a catalyst to feed the power of the swords back into them. When the forging was complete, the High Elders returned. Samuel stepped to Saigon, beckoning Jack forward as the final pieces were placed.

"To Jack, The Guardian Pirate of Ossyria, I present the Timeless weapons. The Knucklers, Equinox accompanied by your pistol, Blindshot. May they serve you well." Saigon set one hand holding a Stone of Time onto the long bladed knucklers, making the steel suddenly turn a psychedelic blue color while the edges and veins throughout the knucklers came to life in a swirling blue light. The pistol came to life as the eyes and mouth of a skull molded around the cylinder glowed with the magical blue light. Jack slid the Knucklers on, and then reached for the pistol holding it up next to his ear and pushing a large amount of mana into the weapons instantly feeling a wave of power flood back into his body pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Amazed, he stepped back as Legor stepped forward and set Jenny's bows on the table before Saigon.

"To Jenny Price, The Guardian Archer of Ossyria, I present these, the Timeless weapons. As your side arm, the crossbow Black Beauty and as your bow, the Enigma; may these weapons serve you will Jenny." Saigon pressed the Stone of Time into the center of the hubs between the arms, which shrank down and became a small blue gem in the center while small veins sprouted from it and weaved down the arms. Beneath the hub on either weapon were four rings which allowed Jenny to wield either bow as though it were a glove. Donning the Enigma, she synchronized her mana with it forcing a wave into the bow which responded back with a wave of its own power, making Jenny jump in surprise while stepping aside for Hellin to step forward.

"Olsen, The Guardian Ninja of Ossyria. I present these, the Timeless Weapons, to you. Both the Lampion and the dagger, Pescas; may they serve you well." The eyes and mouth of the skull shaped guard of the dagger glowed with the energy of the Stone, veins appearing from the skull down the length of the blade while the steel of the claw almost looked as if it had been over heated, turning shades of blue and violet as it shimmered across the surface. With reverence, Olsen slid on the Claw and put the dagger into its sheath, pushing a pulse of mana through them instantly feeling the power they held feed back into his body. Grito was the next to stand before them as she placed Helen's new staff before Saigon who readied with the Stone of Time.

"To Helen, the Guardian Mage of Ossyria, it my proud honor to bestow upon you your new Timeless Staff, the Aeres. With use, this staff will amplify your spells and ready you for the use of the Staff of Wisdom's power; may it serve you well." With a steady hand, Saigon lowered the stone into the middle of a seven petal flower formation at the top of the staff, making veins appear in each of the seven spikes and part way down the shaft. Once Helen gripped it and pushed her mana through the staff, the power of the staff surged back through her body causing her skin to break out in goose flesh, walking back to the others while Harmonia stepped forward.

"And to Matthew Drake, the Guardian Knight of Ossyria, you are presented with these, The Timeless Weapons. As your belted sword, may I present, the Execution Herald." As Saigon lowered the Stone of Time into an empty, triangular space just below the guard, the energy became a blood red color, sprouting veins into the blade, swirling as though it were a pool of blood.

"In addition, your claymore, The Neiblehiem." Again, Saigon placed a Stone of Time within an empty, triangular space below the guard, but this time, it became a pool of swirling blue energy that sprouted veins into the metal surrounding it and made small gems on the hilt glow with its energy. With a hard shove, Matthew sheathed the Execution and reached for the Neiblehiem which at first he couldn't budge. However he then remembered that in order to lift this weapon, it employed the usage of mana to lighten it. Tensing his arms hard, veins of mana screamed throughout the blade, instantly making it lighter and syncing his mana with the sword. However the backwash of power from the sword itself caused Matthew to be shoved back, staring in awe at the blade.

"Is there a sheath for this sword?" Matthew asked when he realized that he had none.

"Hold the sword to your back, as though you were to sheath it." Harmonia instructed. Skeptically Matthew did as he was told, surprised as a sheath appeared around the sword and then looped a wide belt over his shoulders, held together by a large metal clasp with the same designs as the hilt.

"These weapons, these companions that you have been granted are not only weapons, they are tools. Use them well, and they will in turn, hone you. Be strong Guardians, and may Minerva's Spirit guide you on your journey." Grito finally finished, tapping each of their foreheads with her finger as she recited her blessing and sent them on their way. Lillianne could hardly believe how far her friends had come since their humble beginnings as teens from another world and now had been granted the title of fourth degree warriors. They could all now be on a closer plane when it came to fighting the beasts that roamed throughout Ossyria. Each of them knew that there was going to be hard times ahead of them but for now, everything was peaceful and serene.

* * *

The Mage could only wonder: his last visit to the Empress only managed to scare her and not reveal anything about the location of the Pillars of Time. Knowing Minerva and these parasite humans that lived here, the Pillars were not all in the same place, but instead hidden in plain sight scattered across Ossyria.

"Master, what is it that ails you?" Eleanor asked as she and Dragon entered his room, bringing with them a challis of her mana potion. The Mage hissed a long breath as he reached for the glass and drank in a mouth full.

"Master, I have been with you long enough to tell when something is bothering you." Eleanor teased, sliding the tip of her finger across his jaw before returning to Dragon's side. The Mage replied in quite multitude of murmurs, making Eleanor tilt her head in interest.

"I think this student needs to be rewarded. What exactly are the Pillars of Time?" Dragon asked, not being as well versed in spells as the two standing before him.

"An honest question Dragon: The Pillars of Time are neither pillars nor do they have anything to do with time. They are in fact twelve seal stones that can ensure a spell is made permanent if recited with these in close proximity. Using these stones would allow The Mage to ensure once he has the power of the remaining four Crystals back in their Husks, they will remain that way." Eleanor explained as The Mage nodded to her explaination.

"Forgive me if I sound ignorant, but where in lays the problem Master?" Dragon asked shifting his weight slightly wondering if he should have reason to worry. Whispers filled the air, easing his question when it was explained that searching for them would be the hardest of things to do since it could take much longer than her would have liked. The Mage's voice sounded almost as if there was a smile within it, something that both Eleanor and Dragon weren't sure if it meant he was content or not when he turned to Eleanor and asked a question of her.

"Yes master; Thanatos is complete and has been sent to the east side of the Ludibrum Castle to guard Papulatus." The Mage nodded slow and meaningful, instructing the two of them to watch Papulatus for any sign of treachery. With a bow, the two of them turned and left his presence. The Mage turned to the window and swallowed another mouthful of Eleanor's potion, his eyes narrowing as he thought of possibilities on where the Pillars of Time could be.

* * *

"With oil and water I will create a new beginning…"

"…And with sweat and grease I will rise from the ashes." The informant answered as Checky, Claudine and Abi relaxed once they knew that it their informant had indeed come.

"What's been keeping you? We've been left in the dark for quite a long time."

"Sorry, there hasn't been much to report until now. The Guardians have just completed their Fourth Degree training, and The Mage has begun looking for something called the Pillars of Time. I wasn't able to stick around long enough and find out what exactly they are, but whatever they are, it could be deadly."

"I see; have you been able to find anything else on what the Black Wings have been doing with the people in the tanks?" Claudine asked.

"I'm sorry, they are all really tight lipped about that information, so I haven't been able to find out anything." Claudine nodded her thanks while the informant left, suddenly making Abi ask her own question.

"Maybe those weird zombied-out looking people had something to do with it. They looked to be shipping them off by the truck load."

"That may be the case Abi, but we're going to have to wait a while before we do anything drastic again. Making too much noise could cause our whole operation to be jeopardized." Claudine explained. Abi nodded understandingly as she followed them back into the garage, where their small fleet of battle mechs were coming together nicely.


	12. Chapter 11: Timeless

Chapter 11: Timeless

Olsen found himself completely awake the morning after he had returned from training with the High Elders, thoughts of when he had begun the adventure. Jenny still lay beside him in a peaceful state, no doubt letting her sore body heal from the rigorous training and recovering her mana that had been used to the fullest. Carefully he got up from his cot and donned a pair of jeans, shoes and a flannel shirt, throwing his Gaia cloak around his shoulders and pulling up the hood as he went out to take a leisure stroll. Despite having defeated the ghost ship that had always haunted the bay, thick fog still hung around until noon making the air feel chilly and slightly damp. As he walked, he could feel Helen's undeniable power pressing on his skin and decided to follow it and once again join her in mediations since a clear and calm mind was one thing that Jin had drilled into his head.

"If thou lack in sleep, then thy mind will not clear as easily Olsen." Helen's calming voice said as Olsen came near to her meditation spot, finding her cross legged with a large book open before her.

"I don't think it's a lack of sleep, just that I was finished sleeping. Would it bother you too much if I were to practice my Tai Chi here?" Helen smiled, enjoying that he had been coming to her grounds as of late.

"Not in the least Olsen." Slowly Olsen shifted through his stances, standing to one foot or sweeping his hands in wide arcs with his eyes closed, 'feeling' the area around him and listening to the sounds that came from the silence. Olsen never thought about it much, but this area where Helen would come was a peaceful place, perfect for clearing his mind. Helen opened an eye, watching as Olsen moved and noting how natural he seemed: maybe this would be something that she herself should try in addition of her meditations. He had been coming near her meditation area for the past few weeks; she could feel him near her, but this was the first time that he had asked to practice next to her.

"Wouldst thou become bothered if I were to ask thee to teach me Tai Chi?" she asked, standing to her feet and brushing off the backs of her legs. Olsen shrugged as he took a neutral stance, waiting for Helen to do the same, and then slowed his movements so that she could stay with him. In a way, Helen thought, the ninja fighting art and some of its stances that were quite similar to the ones used in casting her spells. And so while they moved, Helen cast spells of fire and ice, holding them in her hands to better feel their power and learn how to hone it into an even more powerful spell.

* * *

The cold from the early morning made Jenny realize that Olsen was no longer there, waking her as she sat up and stretched, cracking her back a few times before getting out of the cot and putting on some comfortable clothes. Just as she was leaving her hut, Matthew and Lillianne were walking by, wooden practice weapons in hand, covered in dust, grass and weeds no doubt from their early morning sparing the two of them did.

"Oh, Jen you're up. Jack was headed out to find Olsen and Helen to hang out for a bit before breakfast. Care to join us?" Lillianne called, pulling the blades of grass out of her long hair.

"Sure you guys out 'sparing' again?" Jenny asked with a laugh. Matthew tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"Jenny, you know us better than that."

"Well it is kinda hard to think otherwise when you guys are always covered in grass once you finish sparring." Jenny laughed as she followed them up to Helen's Meditation ground, somewhere near Mu Lung overlooking the valley below after Jack had found them. Just as they arrived, Helen and Olsen were finishing their meditations, stretching and warming up for the day, no matter what it would bring.

"Hey, d'you guys remember when we first came here?" Jack asked, slumping down on the ground next to Helen as she leaned against a boulder.

"Yes, I do. I remember that Helen and I were the two that almost didn't make it aboard the ship when we were leaving." Matthew commented as he thought back and played over in his mind what had happened.

"_WAIT! WAIT FOR US!" but over the roar of ocean spray and waves, no one could hear the two of them calling out to the ship. Helen backed up a few steps looking as though she were going to do something drastic, far out of character for her._

_"What are you up to?" Matthew asked._

_"A wise person once said 'if your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it'." So with that she ran and jumped into the ice cold water, swimming after the ship. Matthew huffed and jumped in after her, pushing his arms and legs as hard as he could to try and catch the ship while it continuously sped up. Jenny thought she had heard a splashing sound behind them and looked back, seeing the two of them swimming after the ship._

_"Aran! They're coming! We left too soon!" Jenny called, pointing back to show Aran who ran to the side of the ship and sure enough, there was Matthew and Helen, both panting and swimming as hard as they could to try and catch the ship._

_"Shanks we need to stop and get those two aboard." Aran commanded, running up to the helm at the back of the ship._

_"I'm sorry but if we stop now we won't have enough speed to get into the air." Shanks replied. Athena bit her lip as she thought, then ran below deck returning with a light rope in hand tying one end to an arrow. Once she had tied it, she then drew her bow and let the arrow go, flying over the two of them into the water_

_"GRAB THE ROPE!" called Dances as he tied the rope to the railing at the back of the helm. Helen easily grabbed the rope as is slid past her, but Matthew couldn't find it since it had sunk just out of his reach below the water. When he finally did find it from being pulled by the ship, it was too far right of him to easily reach and the end of it was quickly coming closer. From below the water, the turbines used for flight rose while the glow of flames ignited within the housing beginning to spin the engines up, slowly turning the large propellers at their backs into motion. The rope began sliding faster and faster away from Matthew as he tried harder and harder to grab the end, jumping as best he could against the currents and wind from the turbines that tried to push him back. Helen was soon brought aboard at the helm, but quickly turned around, cheering and encouraging Matthew on while a towel was draped over her shoulders._

_"We're almost at full power." Shanks called, flipping a few switches and making final preparations, folding back the sails and activating the levistone heaters. Jack looked back from his position at the railing for a moment to see a countdown with only a few seconds remaining. _

_"COMON MAN! YOU CAN MAKE IT!" Jack hollered. Matthew made one giant effort in reaching for the last few feet of rope when all at once the turbines kicked in, instantly speeding them along the last few hundred feet of water, over a waterfall and into the air. The turbine angles were adjusted as were the heaters for the levitation stones, sending the ship into the clouds._

_"Did he get the rope?" Athena asked. Aran just shrugged: no one had really seen whether or not Matthew had indeed grabbed the rope since they all lost their footing from the turbines kicking in, and now they were too far away to see if Matthew was still in their wake. Olsen dropped to his knees and hung his head._

_"He was so close too." Disappointment was thick in their air while they all filed down the stairs from the helm to make their way down into the hold: it would be a good few hours before Victoria was in sight. Olsen suddenly stopped, listening to something that he thought he heard._

_"Olsen, come, we must get below deck…"_

_"Shh…" Olsen cut Dark Lord off before he could speak any more, running back to where the rope was tied on the helm railing. As he looked down the rope, he thought it looked pulled tight and swinging underneath the ship. As it swung back, Olsen could hear a faint voice calling out from somewhere in the clouds._

_"Hey! Heeeeeeyy! Anyone there!?" it called out before swinging under the ship again and then swinging back out just as they cleared the clouds. There, hanging on the rope for all he was worth, was Matthew. Olsen called over Dances and Jack as the three of them hauled Matthew up and onto the ship where he was hugged and greeted by everyone there before given a towel._

"Oh yeah, I remember that. And then there was the time that Olsen released full control over his crystal; _that_ was intense." Jenny laughed.

"I do not remember well what transpired. Couldst thou recount it for us?" Helen asked as Jenny thought for a moment and began.

_ They all looked up to see Olsen leaping towards them, daggers drawn. When he landed Olsen disappeared, only the occasional puddle being disturbed as he ran. Suddenly he appeared near Roon's head and punched him directly in the face, his fist having something that looked like a pinkish ghost melting into his skin and making Roon's eyes glow green, disappearing again once he had done the deed. Jenny came running to them, helping to pick up Jack whose leg had been broken: Helen would need more time than just a quick touch to heal a wound of that magnitude. As they were moving Jack, Tae Roon caught sight of them and was about to attack them when Olsen appeared once again, quickly slashing at Roon's arms and disappearing again. Jenny and Helen quickly carried Jack away from the fight, but would have to stop as Tae Roon would attack, sometimes coming close to hitting them, but still off his mark. Olsen appeared once more, streaks of pink following him as he moved like a flash of light, jumping high into the air to avoid a whistling sweep of Tae Roon's paw._

_"Come on! I need more! More Power! I NEED MORE POWER!" Olsen shouted as his hair quickly lost nearly all its blond color, turning a hot pink while his daggers glowed the same hot pink flames. In the air a pink hex appeared above him as he pulled his feet behind him. As if a cannon had fired, Olsen shot down to Tae Roon in a streak of pink light; cuts began appearing on Roon's arms as he tried to guard his face until he was thrown back by a powerful stab to his chest, his arms taking the blow instead. Olsen landed on the ground, his eyes glowing almost red and his body seemed to vibrate with the amount of power flowing through him. The hex appeared again and Olsen shot forward, pummeling Roon with slashes in sets of eight, until the glow suddenly stopped. _

_Taking advantage of the sudden slow drop in speed, Tae Roon swiped him out of the air to the ground, pounding on the ground as balls of flame careened into the spot where Olsen would land. Olsen just managed to right himself and move out of the way of the flames, but the sudden use of the Pink Quartz had made him use all of his mana. For some reason he couldn't get full control over the crystal. His legs felt heavy, and his arms felt stiff, leaving him wide open to the giant paw of Tae Roon as he swung, suddenly standing over him. Just before the strike made contact, something like a dark purple light seemed to envelope Olsen while he disappeared making the ground explode into a dusty cloud, reappearing next to the other three. A man dressed in black with a white and black mask held Olsen in his arm while readying three stars, a black flame edged in purple flaring around them as a violet horned being appeared next to him. Tae Roon caught sight of them and was about to rush them until a large crescent of bright golden light came whistling in from his left, tearing a deep trench into the ground making Tae Roon jump back so as not to be hit._

"I will admit, it was a sight to see." Jenny smiled as she leaned against Olsen and pulled his arms around her waist while he gently kissed the crook of her neck.

"I remember the first battle that we ever had against the Slime King. I think I almost drowned the in that think goop." Olsen laughed, pulling Jenny into his lap.

"Yes, 'twas Matthew's expedient thinking that saved thine life." Helen pointed out.

_Jack! Can you throw me above this giant booger?"_

_"Not with your swords, they make you too heavy." Jack answered as he punched through the slime in front of him and then elbowed another behind him. Matthew quickly undid the buckles that held his swords and let them fall to the ground as he began running. _

_"JACK! BOOST ME UP! JENNY! AIM HELEN'S STAFF AT ME!"_

_"But what if I…"_

_"JUST DO IT!" he said as he was thrown into the air above the Slime. Jenny took Helen's Staff and drew her bow, firing it at Matthew like he said to do. Matthew caught the staff then held it as through it were a sword while a light gathered where the guard would be and swung down hard. Since he wasn't standing on the ground, the staff's momentum pulled him down like lead plunging into the goop, quickly cutting a path all the way deep down into the Slime and driving the bottom of the staff through his brain. The Slime's eyes went wide, and then became slits as he called out in pain while the girth of his body melted into a giant puddle. Once Olsen was free, Jenny ran over to him and wiped away the slime on his face and nose, trying to get him to breath. She then set her bow down and began pressing on his chest in a rhythm._

_"Comon Olsen! I don't want my first kiss to be like this!" Olsen's eyes opened and he coughed, breathing deep as small globs of slime were cleared from his lungs. Matthew shook his hands off while he stood, taking the staff out of the Slime's brain and shaking it off as well. Some of the slime around it gathered into a mouth and began speaking again, this time in a higher pitched voice._

_"You have only begun to suffer! There are things that you have yet to do! Remember how this victory feels since you have all spilled the blood of your first enemy!"_

_"You can tell the Black Mage that we'll be coming for him in due time. And he will be stopped." Jack growled._

_"Don't forget that you are the ones who will reap the bloody seeds of your battle! The Black Mage cannot be stopped! And he will succeed in being supreme ruler!"_

_"What do you mean by Supreme Ruler?" Helen asked angrily. The eyes of the Slime appeared next to the mouth and seemed to smile._

_"You're the smart one, you figure it out."_

"I can still feel that thing's goop all over me." Matthew shuddered, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head as his skin broke out in a gooseflesh.

"Was it really all that bad?" Lillanne asked in surprise.

"You have no idea; it was like having someone sneeze all over you." Olsen replied making Lillianne shudder herself.

"Yick, no wonder. The one thing that I remember from you guys' training here was when Helen's crystal power was finally released. That was an awesome display of power." Lillianne said.

_The ensuring explosion ripped through the air in a swirl of clouds, fire and light, making the ground shake as far away as El Nath. However, something felt different to Helen, nothing like she thought death would be like; a small pulsing breeze played at her cheeks while a muffled voice seemed to be calling to her. When she opened her eyes, she was still leaning over Jack's body, pressing her lips to his but the light around her seemed to be doing something strange, like something was passing in and out of its beams. Slowly she sat back up and looked to the sun where the light was flashing. For a moment she couldn't see what it was that was making the light act so strange, but as the wing passed before the light, there before them was Evan and Mir._

_"It looks like I showed up just in time. That blast would have killed you all for sure." He patted Mir's neck as she thrummed in her throat._

_"EVAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" thundered Dragonior._

_"What else? Protecting Ossyria from your ways!" Dragonoir snapped the reins on Phoenix's horns while Evan patted Mir's neck, sending the two Dragon Mages into battle once again, filling the skies with sparks and spells over and over again. Helen was relieved beyond words; she had expected to die here with Jack, and now, she was still alive. However there still was the matter of Dragonoir trying to kill her a short while ago, and the fact that… wait._

_"Jack. Jack? Come on Jack this isn't funny." Helen urged, shaking him slightly then putting her ear to his chest, but she couldn't hear a heartbeat. Tears once again filled her eyes as she got up and propped him against a tree._

_"Jack. I'm sorry, I never could figure out my feelings about. But now I know, I know… that I love you." She leaned in and kissed him once more, power from the Amethyst Crystal suddenly flowing freely within her body, seeping into every last cell of her being and washing over Jack as it emanated from her body like smoke. As she stood, her long hair exploded into a beautiful violet river of curls as it floated amid the power that drafted up into the air. She took up her staff once more, turning to Dragonoir and casting an ice spell freezing Phoenix's jaw shut. Evan looked back to see Helen, which now seemed even more dangerous than before since the crystal had now been unsealed and was at her disposal. Quickly he pulled o Mir's neck to get them out of the way as even more powerful spells were launched at Dragonoir. Dragonoir did his best to avoid the spells, even going so far as to block the incoming attacks. But his Magic Shield instantly collapsed from the sheer force of her power and made him fear for his life. _

_Phoenix began charging his beam again, melting the ice that had formed around his muzzle when a violet seal began forming behind Helen, wrapped in threads of power as more and more layers of the seal began forming while a ball of energy gathered at the center. Helen held her staff forward and pulled back as something similar to her Sacred Arrow formed but was much more powerful, radiating an energy that felt as if just looking at it would defile it. Phoenix broke away the ice on his snout, hurling his head down as he released his beam of power just as Helen released her arrow, followed by a tremendously powerful beam of pure and sacred light which first stopped, then obliterated the beam from Phoenix. Once the light from the ensuing explosion had faded had passed, nothing remained of Dragonoir or Phoenix where they once hovered in the winds. For a few moments, Helen stood proud while the violet light around her faded and her hair drifted down into place, when her knees buckled; succumbing to the strain of using power far beyond what she was used to. However she never hit the ground when someone caught her under her arms._

_"Stubborn girl. I told you to run. Next time, when I say run, I want you to run." Helen slowly turned around to meet Jack's familiar eyes that she had fallen in love with, all of his wounds completely healed and all his energy restored._

"However that victory was tainted by taking Keeny's life in Jack's stead. I have continued to search out a way to cast the Life Call spell without making another life be taken instead." Helen interjected.

"Helen, I didn't mean to…"

"Tis alright Lillianne; It was a bitter-sweet moment that we all shared, there is no reason to worry in offending me." For a moment an odd silence that hung in the air, each of them trying to remember an instance from the past until Helen thought about their first day in training.

"Do any of you remember when we had traveled to Victoria and began out training?" Jenny laughed as she could still very clearly remember the brutal training.

_Morning wasn't kind to Jenny since she was rolled out of the comfortable bed and out into the chilly air with her bow and arrows, running through an obstacle course with random targets set up throughout the course. Once that course was run which seemed to last forever, Jenny was then pushed to her limits by using what she had learned in controlling mana to her advantage in using techniques like the Double Strike, Power Blow, and the powerful Spine Arrow until her mana was gone. After a short rest to regain her mana, she was then sent though the course again, shooting targets and running through the course as fast as she could. Her shoulders burned as she switched from time to time to keep from having one side get too strong or too worn out, all the while further stretching her mana capacity. After a particularly hard lap on the course, Jenny dropped to her knees, panting and coughing to breathe._

_"Get up Jen, you can't rest just yet."_

_"I know I can't… but my body says it has to…" she was quickly brought to her feet and shown a target._

_"The Black Mage isn't going to wait for you just because you're out of breath, nor will he hesitate to kill you if you give him the chance. Above all else you are my daughter, but you are also the last hope for this world. If you don't get up now, you'll be stopping all of this progress you've made. Now draw that bow and show me what you're made of!" Quickly Jenny reached back, grabbed an arrow and drew it in the sinews as it glowed with a blue haze, letting it go with a streak of light following the arrow as her Spine Arrow was becoming more and more powerful while she learned to get more power from less mana. When it hit the target, the arrow struck with enough force to knock the target back a few inches."_

"I felt like a lump of goo at the end of that day." Jenny laughed as the others recalled events of when they had began training telling of how they each had been subjected to torturous routines day in and day out, knowing only that it was to speedily prepare them for the journey that lay ahead. With a call from Lilin, the six made their way back into Herb Town, but for a few moments, Olsen stayed behind looking out over the valley below.

"_Don't worry Ossyria, we will free you from his grip._" He thought, turning back and following the others to join them for breakfast.

* * *

_It had been a hard few months leading up to the final graduation of Minerva's training, but Luminous felt as if he had been pushed to the side despite him being a more powerful mage than Eun Wol made being a brawler. Minerva may have claimed that she wasn't discriminating against anyone of the six people that endured her intense training, but he could tell that there wasn't really room for ANOTHER mage within the elite team they had formed._

_"Luminous, I see you've been brooding again." Freud called, walking into the Palace after he had finished his patrol of Orbis and El Nath._

_"I'm not brooding, I'm just thinking." Luminous answered back, looking up to see Aran and another man that was blurry to him returning from their patrol of the Ariant desert. Freud laughed under his breath and walked back to his room, leaving Luminous to his thoughts. Luminous glared at the one that was blurry, making him turn, shaking his head and walk up to him, talking in a somewhat warbled voice that was still understandable._

_"Luminous, look; I dun' wan' there tuh be any bad blood 'tween us. Ah get it, yur a mighty po'erful mage and I respect that. Tuh be honest, i's me that feels a bit outta mah league 'round you mages." The man drawled, holding out his hand as though it would make everything better. _

_"I don't want nor need your faked attempt for becoming friends." Luminous snapped, folding his arms over his chest making the charms woven into his hair clatter._

_"Then c'n we at leas' be comrades?" The man asked, still holding his hand forward, even lifting it slightly as though asking for it to be shaken. Luminous's thoughts were interrupted when Phantom appeared next to them, his usual boyish grin on his face._

_"Just get over yourself Gloominous; Frued may be another mage, but he's limited to what he can do without Afrein." Luminous looked at Phantom hard, clenching his jaw hard enough that the muscles in his jaw flared before turning and storming back to his room._

_"Dun be so hard on 'im Phantom. 'Sides, that boy's got some mighty fine power at his disposal, I bet he could ev'n outwit you." Luminous could hear the man joke, patting Phantom on the shoulder. Luminous ducked behind a wall shoulder, catching a whiff of fine perfume hanging around Phantom knowing exactly where that scent was from._

_"You went 'n saw her again didn' you?" the man asked, making Phantom only pull his grin to the side._

_"What's the matter ermrrerl? Are you a bit jealous since you are about to get married?" Phantom asked in return. The name Phantom said sounded so warbled that Luminous couldn't understand it, but felt as though he had known that man for a very long time._

_"I wouldn' want to go chasin' anybody 'cept Yuris anyhow." He laughed as the two of them faded off into the distance. Luminous sighed, listening to their conversation and thinking back to what he left behind at the Temple of Light: Phantom had this mystery royalty woman, Freud and Mercedes seemed to be hitting it off, Aran surly has someone, and this other man had someone by the name of Yuris, and Elfin sounding name. But him… his love was left behind in the Golem's Temple and the Order of Light._

_"Lucia…"_

* * *

"This doesn't look good." One of the guards said as he watched readings on a machine beside a stone, covered in probes that sent the power emanating from it to the Black Mage's castle.

"What doesn't look good?" as female voice asked making the guard spin around.

"Madam General Orca! I didn't hear you come in!" the soldier called when Orca became serious and leaned closer to him.

"Don't ever call me Madam General; I'm not _that_ old." She growled, hovering back to her full height, despite being stuck within the body of a child.

"So what is it that you said isn't good?" Orca asked as she hovered behind the guard, looking over the screen and gauges not even the slightest bit interested in what they meant.

"If I've been reading this right, this thing is producing brain waves." The solider said, scrolling the screen back to the right to view a set of waves.

"A rock? Producing brain waves? Are you hearing yourself?" Orca asked, looking back to the boulder and crossing her arms. The Mage appeared in a wisp of black smoke making Orca turn and bow her head, crossing her hand over her chest. Whispers rose over them as Orca bowed.

"Master; what do you mean?" She asked trying to seem as compliant as she could. The Mage set his hand on the stone, breathing a long hiss before murmurs filled the air once more. Orca looked down slightly as her eyes flitted back and forth while she thought.

"Are you talking about the Demon General? THE TRAITOR?!" The Mage turned his head to her, narrowing his eyes and nodded slowly.

"Forgive my ignorance, but how are you so certain?" Orca asked as the Mage walked over to the machine and held a sheet printing from the machine to better see the waves, pointing to a specific wave form as whispers filled the air once more and narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

"Like a finger print? That is certainly one way to put it."

"Master, there has been a rise in these particular patterns. If it continues on this rise, I fear that he will awaken." The Guard warned as he watched the readouts. The Mage growled in his throat, holding his hand out and casting a spell over it, making the activity drop to a minimum. Orca watched The Mage for a moment as he stared hard at the stone, narrowing his eyes and tightening his fists.

"Master if this is indeed the traitor; let me eliminate him for you." Orca requested, bowing to her knee and crossing her arm over her chest. The Mage shook he head as his whispers howled silently in the air and left making Orca look up and tilt her head to the side.

"_Powering a_ _Back up project? What back-up project? The Mage won't Fail!"_

* * *

For the past two hours, Dragon and Eleanor had been scouring over hundreds of books and scrolls within The Mage's library for any clues as to where the any of the Pillars of Time could be.

"Have you found anything?" Dragon huffed, letting the large book that he was looking through flop onto the table, making a cloud of light dust fly into the air.

"Not a trace. I'm beginning to wonder if these Pillars of Time exist at all." Eleanor complained as she held up her head by burying her face in her hands, rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes when a thought struck her. Quickly she grabbed a book she had previously looked through, madly searching through page after page until she came to the passage she was seeking, then grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a few symbols on it before running to another part of the library and pulling another book down.

"AH! Here; the reason we couldn't find anything on them is because 'Pillars or Time' is their translated title. They were made during the time of the second ruler of the Sharenian people; the mages of that time were seeking out a way to make some of their agriculture spells seem permanent."

"'Seem permanent'? I thought that they made any spell permanent." Dragon pointed out, thinking back to what The Mage had said about them.

"No spell is permanent. It only seemed that way because any spell cast with these seals made the spell become encrypted, so to speak. In other words, the one who cast the spell was the only one who was able to break or reverse it, even though another mage may have known how to undo the spell." Eleanor explained, looking over the ancient writing within the book she held, looking through its pages for further explanations.

"So if 'Pillars of Time' is their translated name, what were they called originally?"

"Eagon Sol, but a direct translation calls them Spell of One." The Mage cruised into the library, whispers rising around them with interest.

"Not yet, but now that we have this information as to their original name, we can look back through scrolls for their locations." The Mage held up his hand, then held his palm flat showing them an image of Orbis and the tower where Minerva would often sit before his defeat.

"Orbis; This is why you are leader of the Black Wings master." Eleanor said with a smile as she grabbed up her staff and left for the city with Dragon close behind. If there was a clue to where the Pillars were hidden, it would be there.

* * *

Not one letter came for The Guardians all day: it was as if there was an uneasy peace had settled all throughout Ossyria making The Six feel restless, each of them walked throughout town. Helen, though enjoying the time she had with Jack, thought about the past few months they had been together. It almost felt that the more time that passed, the further the two of them grew apart. Yes, Jack was a brutishly strong man, but that wasn't what Helen wanted from him; she was seeking someone who could understand her, someone that would be willing to slow down and just listen to the world around them. Many times she tried to pin him down to sit with her while she meditated or learned new spells, but time after time he would always be gone when she opened her eyes or looking at something else that interested him. In addition, Jack wasn't exactly known for his subtlety, often telling the blunt truth when times didn't call for it. Adding to her insecurity were the doubts of whether or not they would be able to defeat the Black Mage, even at their most powerful. And then there was the warning from Carta that constantly clung to the back of her mind.

"_If you continue down this path, one of you will suffer a great loss._" Jack's confident words that they wouldn't allow a future like that to come into existence eased her heart, but even then the feeling of doom wouldn't leave her. Just after lunch she told the others that she would be in her meditation grounds; but she didn't go there to meditate. Rather she just stood watching the few low hanging clouds pass below the ridge she stood on and let her mind wander to the bright lives that had been lost on their quest: Keeny, Francis, Utah, Phoenix. In the past she had tried rationalizing their deaths, telling herself that she knew that there were going to be tough times they would need to face, and that these lost lives were all part of that, or were they? As she thought, small drops formed on the corners of her eyes until she quickly wiped them away when she heard footsteps land behind her.

"It doesn't look like you're meditating." Olsen said calmly as he walked up beside her and looked over the valley below.

"Even if I wanted to, I cannot. My mind will not become still so that I may do so." Helen replied as she looked back for a moment and then leaned against a rock that was behind her.

"What's been eating at you Helen? Ever since we rescued Carta you haven't been acting quite like yourself." Olsen asked as Helen sighed and stood once more, taking a few steps away.

"It is all the ones that have perished, even when we spoke of protecting them. How can we boldly call ourselves 'The Guardians of Ossyria' if we cannot protect every person that calls this place home?" Helen spat as she paced back and forth.

"We can call ourselves 'The Guardians' because we're going to face things that no one will ever have to face again. We're the shield for these people Helen: our parents never said that it was going to be easy, but we can't let the lives that were lost be for nothing and give up. We _will _defeat the Black Mage and we _will_ set Ossyria free, and that is how we honor them. Not by apologizing for something that even if we had the power, couldn't prevent."

"Then what are we to say to those who have come before us, who laid down their lives and were offered no justice for their sacrifice? How are we to atone for them?"

"By defeating the Black Mage. It all ends with him." The determination and drive in Olsen's words weren't enough to overcome her feeling of loss: so many people were counting on all of them and yet, what if they failed? What if they couldn't defeat the Black Mage?

"Thou makest our task sound so easy Olsen." Helen mumbled, looking down to her hands as she absently picked at her fingernail. Olsen put his hands on her shoulders and gently kissed her forehead, making her look up at him un surprise. Her heart raced and her mind was a whirl: why would he do such a thing? He knew that Jack was the one she loved. But then again, she had often questioned her choice in choosing Jack as her beloved; they seemed to be on opposite ends of the spectrum and not in a compatible way.

"We will defeat the Black Mage, I promise." Olsen assured, the look in his eyes unwavering and confident. Helen's uncertainty deepened once Olsen had made her the promise: those were words that he used for Jenny when she was uncertain about something. From talking with her, she knew that Olsen always made sure to keep his promises or that the circumstance would always work out.

"How canst thou speak with such certainty Olsen? Why make a promise reserved for thy beloved?!" She managed to ask, even though her heart was screaming to let Olsen in; he seemed to be the one more closely related to her own personality, and yet her mind tried desperately to keep him out.

"Because we are 'The Guardians of Ossyria'." He replied wiping away the small diamonds of tears that clung to her eyes before their gazes became locked. With the words that he had spoken Helen let go of what she knew to be wrong and let her mind go blank, wrapping her arms around Olsen and pressing her lips to his. Helen was so confused; why in the world would something like this happen to her? Why was she even allowing something like this to happen? Even though she had known Olsen for so many years, even before they became the heroes that they were now, she still couldn't wrap her head around her actions. But at the same time she didn't want to stop this moment, feeling a release that she had found the companionship she had longed for. Jack had his moments, but there were still times that he didn't quite understand her. Olsen on the other hand was someone that she had felt a kindred spirit in, someone who understood in the importance of meditation and clarity of mind. A sound suddenly made Olsen and Helen pull away from each other to see Jenny and Jack standing in shock, dropping their weapons to the ground in disbelief.

"Olsen, how could you?" Jenny whispered. The silence that hung in the air became stifling, choking Jenny and making her feel as if her heart had been torn out and stomped on right before her eyes. But Olsen couldn't give an explanation, he couldn't even try to rationalize what he had done nor would any amount of talking calm the rage in Jack's eyes as ruby crystal power flared around his fists.

"Olsen, I trusted you. I trusted that you had the integrity of a saint, but you were only bidding your time to stab me in the back? You are no Ninja, Olsen. You are a pure blood thief, JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!" Jack screamed, hurtling at Olsen and slamming his fist into the ground making Olsen leap away while Helen teleported to another area, watching sadly as Jack ran after Olsen, making thunder roll through the valley.

"_Why? Why did I let my thoughts come to fruition?_" She thought as she looked up to see Jenny's own hurt face.

"Jenny I…"

"Don't say another word." Jenny growled before picking up her bow and walking back to the village with frustrated tears streaming down her face, rolling thunder echoing through the valley as Jack chased after Olsen.

"WHY OLSEN?!" Jack demanded as he threw punch after punch that Olsen barely dodged.

"It was a weak moment! Everyone has them sometimes!"

"A weak Moment? You call that a weak MOMENT?! It didn't look like it was a moment at all! What about Jenny, Huh?" Jack roared, energy gathering around him with each attack.

"YES I admit that I made a huge mistake. I doubt there will ever be enough words to…"

"WORDS? That's what you plan to try and use to justify what you've done?! WORDS?!"

"What else to want me to use, my fists? Jenny and I…" Olsen stopped running and stood firm as Jack slammed into the ground before him, waiting to hear what he had so say, despite his seething rage.

"…I've known Jenny a lot longer then you have, even since we were kids. But the relationship that developed between us, I can't help but feel it is and has always been an infatuation. There have been many times as of late I have caught her staring at you, and can't help but get the feeling that you would better understand her."

"I don't claim to know what you two have or had. I'm stopping my assault here before either of does something we will regret later. In the mean time, you need to go and speak with Jen, if nothing else, get her back on her feet." Jack growled as he turned and stomped towards town.

"Where are you going?" Olsen called, somewhat miffed that Jack, of all people, was telling him what to do.

"To have a talk with Helen."

* * *

With cautious steps, Dragon and Eleanor made their way through the Palace City towards Minerva's Tower as Eleanor searched through a scroll she had brought with her for what the Pillars of Time looked like.

"From what this says, once you are able to find any of the Pillars, it will then lead you to the location of the next by showing a riddle of sorts. Each of the seals were written in the Sharenien Language as a single character for a single trait: Light, Air, Shadow, Earth, Water, Ice, Life, Time, Fire, Stone, Healing, and Death." As they searched, Dragon made note of several sphere shaped stones embedded into the walls of the tower, looking as if circuits and seams were embedded into them. In the room where Minerva's statue stood power felt as if it were emanating from one of the walls, almost as if a piece of the goddess herself remained. Eleanor followed the power and came upon an impression in the wall where a single figurine stood on a small pedestal with a symbol that looked to be comprised of scratch marks and dots.

"Does the scroll say what this one is supposed to be?" Dragon asked as Eleanor looked closer at the statue and compared it to the symbols within the scroll.

"This is the trait of Light. But it also says here in the scroll that 'one must be aware of the Guardians that watch over them, else you trespass and awaken their wrath.'" Eleanor grinned, amused that such a word as 'wrath' was used to attempt in scaring them off.

"I don't think that we have anything to worry about Eleanor. Besides this place has been desolate for quite some time, and I doubt that the fairies here would have enough strength or power to make our lives hard." Dragon scoffed, reaching for the statue and pulling it from the impression. Instantly, the spherical stones Dragon had seen earlier came to life, hovering out of their resting spot and separating horizontally while a golden light blinked to life in the middle as circuits within the space blinked and flashed. Dust hissed from the top of the sphere as a small plunger rose from the top with more circuits blinking near the top.

"Akimosoto bayan, fosil, abon!" The stone said in a rough mechanical voice as more stones came to life and pulled from their resting places. Each of the hovering stones suddenly turned to them, and then hissed even more dust into the air as the entire body of the stone separated into four sections while a metal piece slid out from the middle, expanding into a dish of sorts while the circuits pulsed towards the dish. Energy formed in a ring around the dish, becoming condensed at the center of it until it was then fired as a beam. Eleanor hurriedly folded the scroll, tucking it into her top and held out her hands, casting a shield spell in return that deflected the energy into another of the orbs, disintegrating it into dust. Dragon drew his Dume slicing through each of the orbs easily, but with each one that he cut down, there seemed to be two more that would take its place. Hot light gathered at the guard, flinging his Dume through a few other spheres in front of him while an orb appeared on his shoulder. It was immediately used as Dragon swung hard while something like an eye appeared on his forehead, amplifying the swing and carrying it through a few more of the spheres. Eleanor swung her staff, hurling bolts of plasma from the end of it or her hand while building energy within her.

"Dragon, get down." She said calmly before throwing out her arms making a wave of power explode from her body, pushing the spheres to the sides of the room and allowing them to walk out with a proud swagger while the spheres sparked and twitched in piles of rubble on the floor.

"What were those things?" Dragon asked, sheathing his Dume on his back. Eleanor pulled the scroll from her bosom and opened it once again, trying to smooth the wrinkles it had gathered.

"Those were creatures created by Minerva called Sentinels; a stone-machine hybrid. According to this scroll, they were created as an early training exercise for her students and were charged with guarding anything that would be taken from the tower without the proper clearance."

"I think we have made our clearance known." Dragon smiled as they boarded their skiff, turning back to the castle where they would look for a way to uncover the secret to finding the others.

* * *

Jack came storming back to Helen in a few moment, pulling her to her feet with a rough haul and pinning her to a tree.

"Is there something that you wanna tell me Helen?" Jack fumed. Helen pushed him away, pulling the hair out of her face and crossing her arms.

"I do not know what thou wouldst like me to say Jack."

"Then tell me what I saw wasn't real and just an illusion. Tell me that you weren't sucking face with Olsen!" Jack thundered. Helen slowly closed her eyes in shames and shook her head with slow disappointment

"I cannot. Whether or not thou choose to believe me is thy choice alone, however I did alight Olsen's lips."

"Then why? Why'd you kiss him?"

"I do not know Jack. It was a moment that could not have been helped."

"Yes Helen, it could've been helped." Jenny cut in as she walked into the area, gripping her bow hard enough that her knuckles turned white and the metal of the hub flexed. Jack was about to tell her that she was cutting into a private conversation when Olsen's words came back to him.

"_There have been many times as of late that I have caught her staring at you, and can't help but get the feeling that you would better understand her_." There had been times where Jack thought to himself how much a drag Helen was some times since he didn't have the same 'think things through' mentality she had, not to mention that the magic spells that she had been learning were changing her into someone he found it harder and harder to be around. There were also times when he would hang around Jenny and feel much more comfortable since she had a similar attitude of act first ask later.

"Tell me this Jenny, why is it that I am the one who is the villain? Could it not also be thee? Many times have I seen thine eyes fixed on the heavens while Jack trained or while we supped." Hellen asked with a frustrated crack in her voice. Jenny's face turned rose red as she looked away, trying to mentally recover from the attack that Helen had thrown at her.

"Yes, I have; but I didn't go behind your back and kiss your boyfriend while you weren't around!"

"I had a feeling that was the case Jenny." Olsen smoothly growled, standing on a branch above them all, leaning on the trunk and crossing his arms.

"When did you get there?" Jack roared.

"Oh right about 'could have been helped'." Jenny became infuriated, drawing her bow and firing a powerful wind arrow at him, shredding through the tree just beside him.

"Right now, I don't care if I ever see any of you again. You can all go burn in hell for all I care! Especially you Olsen!" Jenny screamed, forcing her finger into the air at him as though it were an arrow itself.

"Hey, don't pin this on me! You're just as much to fault as the rest of us!" Olsen shot back. Jenny balled her fists so tight that her fingernails began digging into her palms, making them bleed while silent tears stung her eyes and gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"Fine then, Olsen. It's over." She choked, slowly walking back to town while Jack walked to the docks leaving Olsen and Helen to their thoughts in the misty hills.

* * *

Lillianne and Matthew both could hear the thunder rolling through the valley as they sparred against each other, even able to feel the ground shake, but it didn't feel like something that was part of an attack.

"What was that?"

"Don't know Lilli, but maybe we should check it out."

"I would agree with that Matthew, but we just received a letter from Alishar regarding the Time Sphere. Kyrin is back in town with the letter; she'll brief you."Aran said, continuing on to find the rest. However the two of them had been waiting for an hour, and others and still had yet to see them.

"Do you think that my father had trouble finding them?" Lillianne asked, taking a rag and polishing the axe head of her halberd.

"I doubt that was the case; Aran can find anything he wants or needs to. Besides, I think a lot more may have happened than just a case of not being able to find them." Kyrin said, pointing to Jenny as she hurriedly walked back to her hut, eyes reddened and shoulders drooping as she went.

"Oh no." Matthew mused, as Lillianne realized what might have happened and what those thunderous rumbles meant.

"This could be a little more difficult than we first thought Kyrin." Matthew said in a low voice, certain that he knew what had happened but unsure if it meant that Lillianne and Matthew would be going to Ludibrum alone.


End file.
